


Eye for an Eye

by LazyDaizy



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Eventual Smut, F/M, FBI, Falling In Love, Gangs, Ghoulies, Gun Violence, Heavy Angst, Heavy Themes, Heists, Hurt/Comfort, Revenge, Self Harm, Slow Burn, Trafficking, Violence, Will add tags as I think of them, character deaths (not jughead or Betty), cheryl and betty friendship, fragile betty becomes fierce betty, gritty smut, im sorry in advance, not canon at all, please note the triggers: self harm/violence/death/trafficking, serpents, sorry for hurting JB, thieves, virgin Betty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-12
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-06-26 02:36:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 247,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15654000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LazyDaizy/pseuds/LazyDaizy
Summary: Young women are disappearing in New York and when the sister of Jughead Jones, (King of the Serpents and notoriously well known in the world of heists as The Shadow Thief) is taken and left for dead, revenge becomes his primary focus.When an FBI agent clues him in on who is possibly behind the disappearances, and he finds out the man has a sister, Jughead makes a move that starts a war with deadly consequences.Sister for sister, Jughead doesn’t realize the value this slip of a woman with golden hair and green eyes has and just what her brother is willing to sacrifice to get her back.





	1. Broken Spirit

**Author's Note:**

> So, here we are with another fic and my nerves are setting in lol This will be vastly different from what I usually write and there won't be much fluff at all but this story just wants to be told.
> 
> Please note the warnings as there will be violence, self harm, gun violence and some character deaths in this fic.
> 
> Jughead and Betty will not die, I promise!

_If there is true evil in this world, it lies in the heart of mankind – Edward Morrison_

If there was true evil in the world, it lay in the heart of Chic Cooper. He sat and chewed on his steak as if he couldn’t even hear the terrified and pained screams of the young woman in the next room. If anything, he was annoyed because the noise was ruining his dinner. 

“Will you please shut her the fuck up?” he roared in irritation. The screaming came to an abrupt stop and he sighed in satisfaction and went back to eating. A while later, one of his idiots came into the room looking rather terrified to be interrupting. “What do you want?” he snapped.

“Ummm…I think…I think she might be dead,” he stumbled out, gripping his hands together. Chic sat back and glared at the man, his hand coming to rest on the gun that sat next to his plate, causing the man to flinch and take a step back. 

“You want to explain to me why the fuck you guys couldn’t control her?” Chic fumed.

“I don’t know sir. She knew how to fight,” he said helplessly, shrinking back in fear when his boss stood with a sigh and headed to the room where they had been trying to subdue the girl. She’d been with them for not even two days and had been a pain in the ass from the moment they grabbed her. She lay on the floor, unmoving, blood oozing from a wound in her head, her eyes glazed and half closed.

“Is she dead?” he asked, nudging her with her foot as if she was a piece of trash in his way. 

“I don’t know Chic,” Malachi, his second said with a shrug. “You said to shut her up and I may have hit her too hard.”

“Well, seeing as how you fucking morons busted her up, she’s completely useless to me now. Who’s going to buy that?” he asked, his voice void of any emotion as he waved his hand to the broken girl on the floor. Without so much as a flinch, he pointed his gun and pulled the trigger. “Get rid of her and try not to fuck that up as well,” he snapped as he went back to his dinner.

 

Jughead sat back in his chair and ran his hands through his hair, his eyes on the small pile of diamonds on the velvet cloth in front of him. A successful heist, yes, but the information had been bad. This was not what they had been looking for and his client wouldn’t be happy. 

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts and he grabbed a cigarette and lit it before he called out.

“It’s open.”

Cheryl Blossom walked in, having changed from the fancy gown she had worn during the heist and into a pair of sweats and t-shirt. She sat herself on the edge of the desk and picked up a diamond, rolling it between her fingers to catch the light. Jughead took a drag and blew out the smoke while she studied the rock.

“So, what now?” she asked, referring to the fact that they had the wrong jewels.

“Fuck if I know. Pea got some bad intel and I don’t understand why. Either someone knew what we were planning and tried to set us up, or the rubies were moved early,” Jughead sighed. “We should have taken the time to open the box,” he added.

“We didn’t have time for that. I told you before we started that we were cutting it too close with this one,” Cheryl reminded him, putting the stone back with the others. He nodded in acknowledgement and took another drag of his cigarette. He should have listened to her, he realized. They had been doing this together long enough and her intuition was never wrong but this time he had chosen to ignore her and now they were stuck with diamonds that weren’t worth enough for any of their clients to make an offer and the rubies that had managed to elude them were in the wind again.

“Fuck,” he sighed in frustration, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees. 

“What are you going to do with these?” she asked, motioning to the diamonds. “They’re probably insured and aren’t worth enough to try putting them back and risk getting caught.”

“Put them in the vault,” Jughead ordered as he snuffed out his cigarette. Cheryl stood and gathered the stones up and put them in the velvet bag and closed it.

“Sure thing, hubby,” she smirked and he rolled his eyes. 

“Knock it off,” he grumbled. “You enjoy playing my wife way too much for my liking. If you don’t stop with the theatrics, I’ll use Toni from now on.”

“Speaking of,” she laughed, taking off the diamond ring she wore on her finger and dropping it on the desk. “I guess I won’t need this until the next one,” she winked. Jughead pulled his own ring off and threw it beside hers and waved his hand. 

“Vault.”

“You know, a please wouldn’t kill you,” she frowned. “And Toni won’t ever play the wife again after the way you man handled her the last time.”

“Man handled?” Jughead asked with a glare. “I kissed her. How the fuck is that man handling? It was either that or get busted.”

“For her, she would have rather gotten busted,” Cheryl laughed.

“If it makes her feel any better, I didn’t particularly enjoy it either.”

“You saying my girlfriend’s a bad kisser?” she asked, folding her arms across her chest.

“I have no idea, she basically played dead,” Jughead said. “As in, she just stood there and made no effort to kiss me back and she may as well have been a blow up doll.”

“You got one of those?” Cheryl asked with a grin.

“Go away,” he sighed and she laughed as she left the room. “And put the diamonds in the vault. They aren’t for your girlfriend.”

“Oh shut up, I’m only taking one,” she called back.

 

A long while later, back in his apartment, Jughead stood in front of his wall of windows and looked out over the city. New York was both heaven and hell for him. He grew up on these streets and had spent his first 20 years known as the son of The Serpent King, a man everyone feared and didn’t dare cross. 

The Serpents. 

Gun runners, drug runners, hell raisers. 

Not only had he spent the first 20 years of his life as the son of the meanest son of bitch to run these streets, he had also spent them being afraid. He had never liked any of it. The guns, the drugs, putting the fear of God into people. It wasn’t how he was built. He wanted to be good at something that didn’t ruin people’s lives. He liked to write and read and had read everything he could get his hands on, no matter how much his father called him a pussy. 

At 20, as was tradition, the leadership was passed to him and his father was reluctant to give it up. There was nothing he could do about it though, as FP Jones the First, referred to by the Serpents as Pop, was still around to make sure the law stood. So FP Jones the Second had to hand over his crown to FP Jones the Third. And much to his father’s horror, Jughead had put an end to the drug and gun running. He had seen the look of pride in his grandfather’s face that day, as FP had turned the gang into something he hadn’t liked. Back in the old man’s day, they had simply been bikers and petty thieves. Under Jughead, they were back to being thieves, but there was nothing petty about it.

The Serpents were very successful thieves but they weren’t holding up stores or banks. No, Jughead had made sure it was more adventurous than that. They went after the rich. The ones that had more than enough. When they went on a heist it was usually luxury cars, precious stones, or paintings they went after. Once they had done it enough to build up a massive bank roll, it became something of challenge for them. How far could they go? What could they get away with?

It was a new breed of Serpents. The young ones that wanted thrills to go with their criminal life style. There was no thrills in drugs and guns, but there was a huge thrill in holding a 10 carat diamond for the first time after successfully breaking into some old socialite’s safe. Jughead was especially good at it, having learned from young how to steal things his father said he couldn’t have, like old books and laptops. As they had slowly moved from a low life violent gang into the world of thieves, he had earned a nickname among other black market players as _The Shadow Thief_ , because he could pull of a heist before anyone knew he had even been there, usually right out in the open. He was brilliant and he was admired and if someone wanted something impossible to get, they sent a message and Jughead and his serpents were on the job.

So for the last 6 years, since he had taken over, they had built an empire and now they were at the top of the game. A game his father was still furious over, no matter how rich it made him. Jughead had come to realize that FP Jones the second hadn’t run guns or drugs for the money; he liked the mayhem it caused and he enjoyed fucking with people’s lives and Jughead had lost all respect for him.

The door to his apartment suddenly opened and he turned with a frown, wondering who wouldn’t be respectful enough to knock first.

“Arch?” he inquired with a raised eyebrow. The red head had been his best friend since they were basically born and as close as brothers, but even he always knocked.

“Our contact at Mount Sinai called. We need to go Jug, Jelly’s been brought in as a Jane Doe,” Archie said in a rush.

“What? What are you talking about? JB’s in Chicago.”

“No, she’s not.”

“Yes, she is. She text me yesterday that she arrived okay.”

“Jughead, the doctor recognized her serpent tattoo. It’s Jellybean.”

“What do you mean, she recognized her serpent tattoo? That thing’s on her leg. She didn’t recognize her face?” Jughead was suddenly hit with an uneasy feeling and the look on Archie’s face terrified him.

“Jughead, we need to go. Now!” Archie insisted. 

Jughead was running by the time he left his apartment.

 

He was still running when he barrelled through the front doors of the hospital and headed to the information desk, a few Serpents behind him.

“A Jane Doe was brought in a couple of hours ago, where is she?” he demanded to know, which got him raised eyebrows from an over worked and irritated nurse.

“Young man…” she began.

“Just tell me where she is!” he snapped, slamming his hand on the counter top.

“Now listen here…”

“Mr. Jones, thank God you’re here,” came a voice from behind them. Jughead turned to find their contact and private doctor to the serpents, Midge Klump hurried toward them. “It’s alright Estelle,” she soothed the angry nurse. She turned back to Jughead and the rest with him and gave a shaky smile. “Right this way.” They headed down a hallway and Jughead tried to ignore the _Trauma_ sign above the doors they were headed to. Midge turned to Jughead and took in his attire. The black tux pants and white dress shirt he still hadn’t changed out of from earlier.

“On the job?” she asked quietly.

“How the fuck did JB end up here?” Jughead asked, ignoring her question.

“I don’t know,” she said quietly as they passed through the doors into an area with multiple trauma bays.

“Is she okay?” 

“It doesn’t look good, Jug,” Midge said gently. She hurried them across the common area to Trauma Room 4 and motioned for them to stand by the window and she walked into the room and pulled the curtain aside. 

Jughead felt his heart stop.

“Jesus Christ,” he whispered hoarsely and beside him, Toni started to cry. He couldn’t tell by looking at the figure on the bed if it was his sister. 

“That can’t be her,” Cheryl cried out behind him, grabbing and gripping his hand. The woman was covered in bandages and there were tubes and monitors attached it seemed all over. Half her face was bandaged and the other half, so swollen, he couldn’t even make out any features. Midge walked over to the figure and moved the sheet covering the legs and Jughead sucked in a breath. It was the familiar serpent tattoo and the three colored jellybeans just below. It was definitely her. 

“How the fuck…?” he managed to gasp, taking a step back from the window. He felt the bile rise in his throat and he swallowed repeatedly, the urge to vomit overwhelming. Midge gave the monitors a quick check and left the room, joining them on the other side.

“Midge, give us something,” Archie pleaded, unashamed that tears flowed from his eyes. Jellybean was like his sister and he was as devastated as Jughead. She ushered the group into a waiting room and closed the door.

“What do you know?” Jughead asked, blinking against the sting in his eyes. 

“She was brought in two hours ago. She has no identification on her, no purse, no cell phone. It wasn’t until they cut her jeans off and I saw the tattoo that I realized it was Jellybean,” Midge said softly. “She was pulled from the east river after someone called 911 that they had seen a body dump.”

“A body dump?” Cheryl gasped. “What the hell? She’s supposed to be in Chicago.”

“She left yesterday morning and I got a text from her in the evening that she had arrived safe,” Jughead insisted, pulling his phone out and showing their texts.

“She never made it,” Midge said softly. “And clearly, someone wanted you to think she had.”

“What are we looking at here,” Jughead asked, his desperation and fear clear in his voice.

“Someone did a number on her, Jug. She’s got several broken ribs, a broken wrist, a pretty serious head wound, and by the amount of bruising all over, there isn’t a spot that wasn’t hit. She also has a gunshot wound to the chest.”

“Fuck,” he managed to strangle out, sinking into a chair, his head dropping into his hands.

“She is in critical condition and honestly, it doesn’t look good. If she pulls through, it will be a miracle,” Midge said as gently as she could, her own eyes filled with tears. “If there is any satisfaction in this, from the looks of her fingernails and busted knuckles, she put up a hell of a fight,” she added. Midge had grown up with them, on the same streets and she was one of the lucky ones who had gotten away from the street life because she was brilliant and had managed to finish high school at 15 and headed to med school soon after. Now, because she never forgot the people she grew up with, when the serpents needed a doctor, she was there for them.

“Have the police been here?” Sweet Pea asked, his voice shaking and pained, speaking for the first time. It was no secret the Serpent harbored feelings for the sister of his boss, but he kept them in check because Jughead made it clear that he wanted her to finish collage before anything happened between them.

“They were and since she was listed as a Jane Doe, they left and asked us to contact them if anybody showed up. They also took a picture of something on Jellybean’s leg.”

“A picture of what?” Toni asked.

“Some symbol was burned into her skin right above the ankle. As if she’s been marked or something,” Midge explained. “It was almost like they knew it would be there because they went straight for it.”

“Someone marked her?” Jughead asked, lifting his head, his voice a deadly calm that belied the burning anger in his eyes.

“It seems so and then left her for dead.” 

Jughead felt like he couldn’t breathe and the room was closing in on him. He stood quickly and stormed out, slamming the door after him. He didn’t stop until he was outside, heading around the first corner he found and leaning back against the wall, bending at the waist, his hands on his knees and taking deep gulping breaths.

“Fucking hell, JB,” he gasped, tears welling in his eyes and he did nothing this time to stop them. How had this happened? Who had done this and why? Was it revenge on the Serpents? Did someone find out who had stolen from them? Was it unrelated? The questions were swirling and he couldn’t come up with any answer and Jellybean may not even survive to tell them anything.

After he managed to get some sense of control, he pulled out a cigarette and lit it, taking a long drag and letting it burn into his lungs, giving him just a moment of calm. It didn’t last long and before he knew it, he was lighting a second. Archie found him a while later and leaned against the wall beside him.

“Any ideas?” he asked quietly, reaching for the smoke Jughead handed him and lighting up as well.

“Not a fucking clue,” Jughead replied, his voice trembling still. “Who would do this?” he gasped. “We have no enemies that I know of except the occasional pissed off thief that we beat to merchandise, but they would never retaliate like this.”

“Maybe it has nothing to do with us,” Archie suggested. “Just something random. She got grabbed and put up a fight and they dumped her.”

“And the mark on her?”

“Some sicko with a fetish? I don’t know, Jug.” Jughead was reaching for another smoke when Archie put a hand on his arm.

“Maybe you should go see her Jug. If she doesn’t make it, you don’t want to be sitting out here blackening your lungs when you could be sitting with her.” 

“Right,” Jughead whispered, putting his pack away. Archie patted him on the back and they headed back inside.

 

Jughead sat beside Jellybean, watching the heart monitor line and willing it to keep up its beat. He had to argue to be able to sit with her as she was being constantly checked and monitored. She was critical and they didn’t mince words when giving him updates. She was barely hanging on. The bullet had missed her heart by an inch and he was told she got lucky and he had no idea how anyone could consider this lucky. His sister was 20 years old and on the verge of death and he didn’t understand what the fuck was lucky about any of this.

His eyes went down the sheet and he pulled it aside and looked at her ankle and the mark right above it. It looked like a C with an X through it. Jughead couldn’t recall a time he had ever been so angry. How dare someone do this to her, marking her like she was their property. He was going to find the bastard who did this, if it was the last thing he did.

“Can I get you anything?” Cheryl asked softly, coming into the room and resting a hand on his shoulder.

“No, I’m good,” Jughead shrugged. 

“I can get you a change of clothes,” she suggested. “Probably be more comfortable than half a tux.”

“I’m fine,” he insisted, leaning forward in his chair and running a hand through his hair. Cheryl nodded and quietly left the room as he leaned back and stretched a leg out, the other bouncing anxiously. He rested his elbow on the arm rest of the chair and pressed his fist to his mouth, his eyes glued to the heart monitor. 

An hour later, Midge came into the room.

“Jughead, there’s some people here to talk to you about Jellybean,” she said softly, motioning through the window. He turned to look and saw two men in suits watching him. He felt his gut clench a little and frowned. He knew a fed when he saw one. He didn’t survive as long as he had in the world of theft without knowing everything about the people trying to catch him. He took a deep breath and got up, heading out to greet them.

“Special Agent Kevin Keller,” one of the men said, holding up a badge that Jughead barely glanced at. He didn’t need the credentials to confirm what he already knew. “This is my partner, Moose Mason. We’d like to ask you a few questions.”

“You guys can use the conference room down the hall,” Midge suggested. Jughead looked over at the waiting area and all the Serpents with him stood and walked over.

“We just need to speak to you,” Keller said to Jughead. 

“They go where I go,” he insisted. The men looked at each other as Mason shrugged and they all headed to the room down the hall. It was a small room and by the time Jughead took a seat at the small table with the agents standing on the other side and Toni, Cheryl, Archie and Sweet Pea had lined up behind him, the air seemed sucked from the room.

“You’re the brother of the victim?” Keller asked, getting right to the punch. Jughead simply nodded. “When’s the last time you saw or spoke to her?”

“Why are feds interested in my sister?” Jughead asked pointedly. The other agent pulled a picture from a file and laid it on the table.

“You ever seen this before?” he asked. Jughead saw the same symbol that was burned into Jellybean’s ankle area.

“No, should I have?”

“That’s the mark of a sex trafficking ring currently operating in the city,” Keller said calmly. Jughead felt his entire being freeze and the sick feeling that came over him once again made him want to throw up. He swallowed and his hands clenched into fists.

“What?” he asked, his voice soft, belying the rage he felt starting to simmer.

“Your sister was taken by sex traffickers and if you could help us figure out how long they had her…”

“She left yesterday morning for Chicago and I got a text last night that she had arrived safe,” Jughead told him, showing him the text.

“Well, it’s safe to say that she didn’t make it and they wanted you to think she had. It’s the same pattern for the other women that have disappeared. Families didn’t realize anything was wrong for days because the texting continued. We’re trying to figure out why they got rid of her almost immediately after they took her.”

“The doctor said there are signs that she put up a fight. Jellybean wouldn’t have gone easily or cowered in fear. She knows how to fight and stand up for herself,” Jughead insisted.

“Well, maybe they figured she wasn’t worth the effort. She took a beating by the looks of things and that means she pissed them off and they couldn’t break her spirit so rather than put up with her, they dumped her,” Keller concluded.

“What do you know about these people?” Jughead asked, trying to keep his voice calm.

“We have a name, that’s it. Chic Cooper. He’s basically a ghost and we can’t get close, but we’ll do what we can. Thanks for your help and we’ll be in touch,” the agent said. He placed his card on the table and left with his partner. Jughead sat, trying to rein in everything he was feeling.

 

Outside the room, Moose turned to Kevin curiously. 

“Why did you tell him we only have Chic’s name? We know a lot more about that bastard, and he probably could have used the information.” 

Kevin turned toward the room and studied the group through the window.

“I want their help and I want to know just what these guys can do and what they can find. I’ll give them a week,” he said firmly and headed back down the hall.

 

A while later, Jughead was back by his sister’s side. Pea stood on the other side, holding her hand, his face stricken with grief. Jughead brushed a hair off her face, his heart in anguish that he may lose her. Leaning down, he kissed her forehead and moved his mouth to her ear so he wouldn’t be overheard.

“I promise you JB, we’re going to find this bastard and if it’s the last thing I do, I’m going to put him in the ground,” he promised vehemently. He straightened and looked at the man across the bed.

“Boss?” Pea questioned softly, seeing Jughead’s eyes go dark with fury.

“I don’t care who you have to hurt, bribe or pay for information, Pea; find him. Whatever you have to hack and whatever laws you have to break; you find this fucker and you find him now!” 

“On it,” came the reply, his tone as furious as Jughead’s.

 

 

Across the city, in a room shrouded in darkness, Betty Cooper lay huddled on her bed, hungry and her body aching. She had pissed him off again, or rather, something on the news had and had been locked in her room without food after he’d knocked her around a few times. 

She had no idea how she got here. How her life had turned into this horror movie that she couldn’t get out of.

When her parents had been killed in a car crash a few years ago, Chic had become guardian to her and Polly and it hadn’t taken long and a monster had emerged. He watched them day and night and didn’t allow them any friends or jobs once school was over. Betty had always dreamed of being a journalist or a writer and that dream had died along with her parents. She never understood why he kept her a virtual prisoner. She wasn’t allowed to leave the warehouse apartment he kept her in, and she wasn’t allowed a phone or internet access and she could feel herself slowly withering away. 

A few months ago she had turned 21 and there had been no party, no acknowledgement and nobody who cared. She couldn’t get away from him, and she had stopped trying after a beating that had left her unconscious. Polly had managed to run away 7 months ago and she wished with all her heart that she had gone with her but she had woken one morning and she had just been gone.

Betty had never been so afraid in her life as she had been that day because now she was alone with a monster. She knew she was going to die alone, having never gotten to live life, never gotten to experience love or have a boyfriend. She remembered when a boy had kissed her after school one day and Chic had seen. The boy had left with a black eye and Betty had been forbidden from even looking at boys. She had no idea what the purpose was for her to be kept prisoner, except that Chic needed something to control. 

Betty curled up into a ball, her spirit broken and clenched her hands together, feeling the comfort that the sting of her nails into her palms brought. This pain soothed her because she could control it and the ache in her bones eased slightly as she concentrated on her hands. When she felt the tears roll down her cheeks, Betty pressed her palms to them, hissing in a breath at the salty sting. 

As she lay there, watching the shadows danced across the walls, she wished with all her heart that they would come alive and steal her away.


	2. Moving Shadows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pop in this fic is Jughead’s Grandfather, FP’s father and not Pop Tate

_Never fear shadows, it just means there's a light shining nearby. ~~ Ruth E. Renkel_

 

Agent Keller was sitting at his desk, looking over his latest findings when his partner hurried into his office.

“He’s in,” Moose said with a grin.

“What? Already? It’s only been two days,” he said in shock.

“I told you, this guy is good.” 

Kevin got up and followed him down the hall to where their computer specialist was set up to watch for any hacks into their system. He stood behind the chair and squinted at the screen.

“I have no idea what I’m looking at,” he admitted, trying to understand the symbols and words and numbers flying across the screen as the man worked. “This looks like some matrix type shit. How do you know Sweet Pea is in here?” The analyst looked over his shoulder at him and smiled. 

“Oh, I caught him the second he found the back door,” he bragged.

“The back door that you told me he wouldn’t be able to find for at least a week because there was so much code and firewalls to break through? This guy hacked all your shit in two days. Do you know how long he’s been trying to get in?”

“Actually, from what I can gather, he’s only been at it for about 7 hours.”

“He hacked your system in 7 hours?” Kevin asked in shock.

“Well, to be fair, we planted the back door for him to find and I was well aware he was trying, so don’t go thinking we aren’t protected. I let him get in. Our systems are better than this and there are always people watching.”

“Does he know you left him a door?” Moose asked.

“Not yet, but he’ll figure it out soon enough. Even _he_ knows he shouldn’t have gotten in that quick.”

“Okay, tell me what I’m looking at here,” Kevin sighed. “What’s he going after?”

“Well, he went straight for the Cooper file and he knows by now that you lied and you know more than you’re letting on. Look at the other screen, I’m logging his keystrokes and following his worm and it will show everything he is seeing and finding.” 

Chic Cooper’s file was popping up and in only minutes, Sweet Pea was looking at everything.

“Is he going to copy it?” Moose asked.

“Oh, I’m sure he already has,” the analyst laughed. “You told me to let him, is that still a go?”

“Yeah, let him take it,” Kevin nodded. “Tell me again how you know this is him?”

“Okay, see this right here?” the man asked, pointing to the screen full of shit Kevin couldn’t decipher. “This sequence of letters and numbers flying around the screen? Well, if you convert them into images, you get this,” he said with a grin, clicking on a key and suddenly the shape of a serpent appeared.

“Son of a bitch,” Keven whispered. “How the fuck you nerds know how to do this is beyond me. What’s he doing now?” 

“That’s his hacker symbol that he leaves behind when he wants someone to know he was there. Okay, now he’s digging around and I’ll follow him and see where he’s headed.”

 

 

Jughead walked into the room where Pea had all his computers set up and handed him a beer. He took it gratefully and downed half of it before he got back to it.

“You getting anywhere?” Jughead asked, dropping down into the chair beside him.

“Oh yes, already copied a whole bunch of shit they had on the Cooper guy. That agent was lying, that much I can tell you. I’m pretty sure they put that back door in for me to find because there is no way I should have gotten in that fast.”

“7 hours is fast?” Jughead asked with a raised eyebrow.

“To hack the FBI? Fuck yes. They wanted me to get in.”

“The agents from the hospital? Why would they want you to get to the files?”

“Yup and I have no idea.” Sweet Pea fooled around and Jughead watched the screen and didn’t have the slightest idea what he was doing. The Serpent suddenly sat up and stared hard at the screen. “Fuck,” the other man snapped.

“What?” Jughead asked, leaning in as well.

“He’s on my ass,” Pea said, his fingers starting to fly across the keys.

“Who’s on your ass?” 

“Whoever is watching me noticed I was snooping around and is piggybacking. There’s another file here and I’m curious about it,” he said slowly. “It’s protected and will take me a bit…” he trailed off and Jughead sipped his beer while he watched.

 

 

“He’s found the Serpent file,” the analyst said, leaning in and watching intently.

“Okay, shut him down,” Kevin ordered. “I don’t want him seeing that file until I’m good and ready to show it.” The man’s fingers flew over the keys and he grinned when the activity came to a stop.

“He’s out,” he announced and Moose looked at Kevin.

“What now?” he asked.

“Well, now it’s time to pay these Serpents a visit,” Kevin said with a smirk. “Give them a few days to digest what they find and we’ll go calling.”

 

 

“Ahh fuck,” Pea sighed and sat back in his chair. “They shut me down. You want me to try to get back in?”

“No,” Jughead said, standing to his feet. “We got what we need. Print what you found and we’ll have a look.”

“Sure thing, boss.”

“Wrap up here and head over to see JB,” Jughead suggested softly. “I’ll be by later.” Sweet Pea nodded and turned back to his work.

 

 

When Jughead got to the hospital a couple of hours later, he found Pea and FP glaring at each other in the waiting area for the ICU. Jellybean had been moved in there from trauma and was still in critical condition. He frowned when he walked over to them and his father turned and glared at him.

“What’s the problem here?” Jughead asked. 

“I don’t want him near my daughter,” FP spat angrily and Jughead saw Sweet Pea’s hand curl into a fist.

“Your daughter?” Jughead spat. “She’s been here for 3 days. Where the fuck have you been? Sweet Pea has been here day and night and only left today to get some info for me. He cares about her and that’s fucking more than I can say for you!” he finished in furious growl. FP seemed surprised by that information.

“Excuse me? He cares about her?” he asked, laughing. Jughead gritted his teeth, smelling the alcohol on him and knowing he had probably been on a bender for the last 4 days, since that’s how long he hadn’t seen him. He had stopped caring where his father went years ago and fully expected one day to get news that he had managed to kill himself with booze. The man took a step toward Pea and sneered. “You’re not going near her.” 

“Back off,” Jughead snapped, stepping between then. “Jellybean is 20 years old and you have zero say in who she’s with and since you couldn’t be bothered to even come here until now, you have even less say.” FP knew when not to push his son and he stepped back with a scowl, his eyes burning with anger. Sweet Pea left the waiting room with Jughead at his heels. Once away from FP’s ears, he turned to Jughead.

“Listen, Jug, thank you for that and I don’t know what you’re assuming but me and Jelly aren’t…” he began nervously.

“I know you’re not Pea, but I’m not an idiot, I know you care about her and that hasn’t gone away obviously since I told you that I want her to finish school first. You’re a good man and I trust you won’t hurt her and this thing….I mean, I’m not going to keep you away from her right now. You can go sit with her.” Sweet Pea nodded his thanks and hurried to Jellybean’s room. 

Jughead leaned against the wall as he watched him go. He had never understood why people fell in love. Or how for that matter. He had never felt it for any woman he’d been with and while he wasn’t one to sleep around or just fuck for the sake of fucking, he never developed any feelings for the women he had in his life from time to time either. Sure he liked them, it was a condition of his before he slept with anybody because he really couldn’t bring himself to be intimate with someone he didn’t like and never understood guys like Fangs, Archie or Pea in his teens, who would just chase skirt for the sake of getting laid. His father was the same, with a different woman hanging on to him pretty much every weekend.

Jughead wondered sometimes, if there was something wrong with him. Sure, he liked sex and it could be amazing at times, but he never felt the overwhelming urge to just get laid. It always amused him when they would come back from a heist and the adrenaline would be flowing and his Serpents just disappeared to _spend their energy_ with their partners or find someone willing. He usually went for a run or beat the hell out of a boxing bag in the gym. Cheryl always told him he just hadn’t found the right woman yet. Jughead decided he just wasn’t built for love. It was a weakness. It made you vulnerable. 

He remembered a heist in their early days when they hadn’t been very good at it and had almost gotten caught and Toni had fallen out a window and broken her leg and had gotten a concussion, losing consciousness for a while. Cheryl had been beside herself with panic and she hadn’t gotten over it for a while. And now watching Sweet Pea and the agony he was in over Jellybean, an agony he felt as well but he had a feeling that the pain he was feeling as the brother wasn’t as heart wrenching as the pain of it being someone you were in love with. He knew the man was in love with his sister and didn’t just simply _care for her_ and it was eating him up inside. He didn’t think Sweet Pea had slept at all the last three days except for maybe an hour here or there. He himself was in much the same condition on the sleeping front, but his friend looked like he was going to crumble any minute and he honestly had no idea how he had managed to concentrate on the hack, but he figured it helped get his mind elsewhere for a moment.

Jughead decided he didn’t ever want to be in that condition, where he felt like his heart was being ripped from his body because of a woman. He was just fine on his own and he intended to keep it that way. He pulled away from the wall, not oblivious to the looks a nurse was sending his way and while she was pretty, he had to wonder about her sending him looks when she was well aware that his sister was fighting for her life just down the hall. He thought it was rather uncouth and he took himself outside for a cigarette to get away from her.

He found a bench and sat down to light up and let out an irritated sigh when his father sat down beside him. He lit up as well and they sat in silence for a good while.

“So,” FP finally spoke. “You know anything about who did this?”

“Do you actually care?” Jughead asked.

“Of course I fucking care,” his father snapped. “That’s my kid lying in there. I’m not pretending I’m the world’s greatest dad, and yes, I should have been here sooner, but I want revenge on whatever fucker did this as much as you.” Jughead didn’t say anything as he took a drag of his cigarette. “Jug, I know you and Pea are looking into this, you can’t tell me you aren’t and I want to know what you found.”

“We haven’t found anything yet,” Jughead lied, getting up and throwing his cigarette in the disposal provided for smokers next to the bench. “I’ll let you know when we do,” he implied as he walked back inside. He wasn’t going to tell FP anything because he would just go at it, guns blazing, and fuck up anything they had planned. This was going to take finesse and the man wouldn’t know what that was if it tapped danced across his nose. 

He went to the ICU and headed to JB’s bedside and found Sweet Pea sitting in a chair next to the bed, his arm across her waist and his forehead resting against the mattress.

“Hey,” he said softly, resting his hand on the man’s shoulder. Pea jerked up and pulled his arm away, wiping quickly at his eyes and Jughead felt bad for having interrupted him. He had a feeling that his friend didn’t like being caught in such a vulnerable state.

“I’ll give you some time with her,” Pea said and hurried from the room. Jughead sat down the chair he had vacated and took his sister’s hand. There was no change of any sort in her condition. The only difference from the night she had been brought in was the swelling on her face had gone down and her features were starting to become clear again.

“Come on Jelly,” he said in a pained whisper. “We need you to come back to us. We need you to come home.” Jughead had never felt so helpless in his entire life. He always had a plan, always had a way out, always had another way if something went wrong and this – he couldn’t do anything about this. He could just wait and pray and hope that she pulled through. There was absolutely nothing he could do and it infuriated him.

He hadn’t looked at the information Sweet Pea found yet as they had come right back to the hospital and he was chomping at the bit to find out more about the bastard who dared to brand and attempt to kill his sister. He was going to pay, Jughead was going to make sure of that. He didn’t care what it took. He was going to put Chic Cooper down.

“Hey Jug,” Midge said softly as she came into the room. “How are you doing?” It was a pointless question but it helped ease them into a conversation that was always difficult to have.

“Hanging in there,” he replied with a shrug. “Can you say the same for Jelly?”

“I can, actually,” she said with a small smile. “Because that’s really what she’s doing at this point. She’s still critical, but we got the bullet out and she’s hanging on. She’s breathing on her own and there is brain activity and it’s just a waiting game.”

“Be honest with me, Midge,” Jughead said quietly. “Are her chances good? Bad? What? Have you seen anybody come back from a gunshot wound to the chest?” It hurt him to even say it. When, in all his life, did he think his sister would have a gunshot wound to the chest? In his line of work, yes there was an element of danger, but the most any had ever feared was prison and Jellybean wasn’t even part of any of it. He had made sure of it and she was going to finish school and make something of herself that didn’t involve breaking the law, and now she was lying near death when she should have been in Chicago, getting ready for school.

“I’ve seen it,” Midge said softly, laying a hand on his shoulder. She didn’t say anymore and that told Jughead that she hadn’t seen it often enough to offer any comfort. She quietly slipped from the room and Jughead lowered his head in his hands. His heart had been in a vice and his stomach in knots for three days already and he hoped there was relief soon.

 

 

Later that night, in the Serpent meeting room, they all gathered around while Sweet Pea revealed his findings. 

“Well, the feds lied, that much is obvious,” he stated as he set down the stack of papers on the table they stood around. “This is who we’re looking for.” He set a photo on the table and Jughead picked it up, clenching his jaw as he stared at the man. Blonde hair, smooth skin, angled features that were almost too sharp. He looked young and not at all threatening but Jughead could see the twisted sinister look in his eyes. He knew instantly that this wasn’t someone they should underestimate. He passed the photo to Archie and it started making its way around to everyone.

“So break it down, Pea, what are we looking at here?” Cheryl asked, sitting on the edge of the table.

“Well, the feds were partly telling the truth. This guy moves around so much, he may as well be a ghost. From what I can gather, he never stays in place long enough for anybody to get close, but the strange thing is, there are several surveillance photos here where they could have picked him up, but they didn’t. It seems he’s some sort of middle man, finding the girls and setting up the sales for the big wigs.”

“Jesus Christ,” Jughead growled. “Why the fuck won’t them pick him up? Not enough on him?” he questioned, picking up the pictures and studying them.

“I don’t know, maybe,” Pea shrugged. “It says here that he’s 30, his parents died in a car wreck 5 years ago and he became the guardian of his two sisters, Polly and Elizabeth, or Betty as they have her marked here, but nobody has seen them in a few years.” Jughead took the pictures and looked at the girls, very similar in appearance, both blonde and fair like their brother. Jughead had a sick feeling in his stomach.

“Do you think he sold them?” Toni asked in horror, her eyes wide. “How old are they?”

“Well, according to the age they were when their parents died, Polly would be 22 and Betty would be 21.”

“And they haven’t been seen for how many years?” Archie asked.

“Three,” Pea said softly.

“Mother fucker,” Jughead snapped. “What kind of sick fuck is this? Would he seriously sell off his own sisters?”

“Well, if he’s the one who shot Jelly, can selling a sister be that far behind?” Fangs asked, studying the photo of the girls.

“There’s a lot of stuff here, but nothing really useful to us. There are so many addresses, we’d have to eliminate them one by one and that could take days. Most of this is just bullshit about his childhood and how he ended up going from selling drugs to girls. None of this will help us find him,” Pea said with a frustrated sigh.

“Do they have anything about the mark? Why does he mark them?”

“To let buyers know where they came from. Each ring has its own symbol. Like a store or whatever. If you like the merchandise, you know who to call. This is a list of known associates,” Pea said, handing Jughead the paper. “See anyone you recognize?” he asked. Jughead studied the names and his eyes narrowed.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” he said furiously. “Reggie Mantle?”

“Wait, our Reggie?” Cheryl asked in surprise, grabbing the paper.

“Well, he’s not exactly _our_ Reggie,” Jughead said with a sigh. “Dad kicked him out of the Serpents for a reason. He had his own little side business going and making money off Serpent product.”

“Well, how the fuck did he end up in this bullshit?” Toni asked with a frown. “Sure he was a sneaky bastard, but getting involved in sex trafficking? That doesn’t seem right.”

“None of this seems right,” Pea said angrily, throwing the papers down. “I don’t know what to do with all this shit. Nothing here is useful and it’s like the feds wanted us to find a file full of nothing. Chic Cooper’s name is the only thing useful here, just like before and all we have now is his face.”

“Not true,” Jughead informed him. “Pea, find what you can on all these associates and find out what Reggie’s been up to. He’s never been good at hiding his trail. Once you figure out where that son of a bitch is; Archie, you take Fangs and bring him to me,” he finished firmly.

 

After Sweet Pea and Archie went off to figure out where to find Reggie, Jughead headed for the elevator and hit the button for the top floor, walking to the apartment at the end when he got there. He knocked softly to alert his presence and walked in.

“Hey my boy, it’s good to see you,” his grandfather said with a smile from his chair beside the cage full of birds that he loved so much.

“Hey Pop,” he said with a soft smile, taking the seat across from the old man.

“How’s Jelly,” FP the First asked, his smile turning into a frown.

“No change but she’s hanging on,” Jughead said softly. 

“Tell the truth son, did your father bring something down on us?” Pop asked, having long ago learned that his son couldn’t be trusted to make decisions that wouldn’t endanger their lives.

“No, he didn’t,” Jughead answered, not sure how much he should tell his grandfather.

“Don’t keep things from me boy,” the man said and Jughead let out a sigh. He loved his grandfather more than life but the habit he had of calling him _boy_ , the same way his father used to scream at him, grated on his nerves. Pop knew it and that’s why he did it with such glee. The man had been more of a father to him than FP ever had and Jughead treasured their relationship. He sat back and told him all they had found out and by the time he was finished, his grandfather was livid.

“Our baby girl was taken by traffickers?” he fumed, his hand gripping the bird he was holding a little too hard. Jughead quickly squatted in front of his chair and gently pried the bird loose and set it on the cage. 

“I promise you Pop, we’re going to get him.” The older man reached his hand to him and gripped his face tightly and Jughead held back his wince as their eyes locked.

“I’ve never been an advocate for violence boy, and I have always hoped that you’d make it through life without having to kill a man, but you put this bastard in the ground, do you hear me?”

“I hear you,” Jughead said with a firm nod, clasping his hand to his grandfather’s. “I hear you!”

 

 

Two days later, after digging around and chasing down leads and contacts, Sweet Pea finally figured out where Reggie Mantle could be found. Archie left with Fangs and after a few hours of waiting, Jughead was pouring himself a scotch when his father came into the bar and he was angry.

“You want to explain to me how the fuck the Feds know where we’re located?” he fumed. Jughead furrowed his brow in confusion and put his drink down.

“Excuse me?”

“There are two federal agents at the gate requesting entrance,” FP snapped. Jughead hurried to the security room and checked the monitors. The car at the gate was driven by Kevin Keller and his partner was in the seat next to him.

“Shit,” Jughead muttered, wondering as well how they knew where to find them. The Serpents made sure their address wasn’t listed anywhere and no mail came directly to the building and anything registered to the place was under a fake identity. Unless someone spent a good deal of time looking, nobody should have known where they lived. “Get everyone into the meeting room,” he said quietly as he buzzed open the gate. “You go up and stay with Pop.”

“Don’t even think about…”

“I said, go up and stay with Pop!” Jughead snapped. FP clenched his jaw in anger but gave a nod and left the room. Father to the leader or not, he had to do what he was told and even though he had relished the authority he used to have over his own father when he was the leader, FP didn’t enjoy having his son order him around.

By the time the Serpents had gathered in the meeting room and Jughead went to the front lobby entrance to the building, Agent Keller and Mason were waiting with irritated looks on their faces.

“Can I help you gentlemen with something?” he asked casually as he unlocked the door. The door was never unlocked and every person allowed in had the lock code. Visitors didn’t just walk into this building. Kevin Keller glared at him and Jughead stared blankly at him while he waited.

“We have something we need to discuss,” Mason replied.

“Well, why didn’t you say so,” Jughead asked, stepping back to allow them in.

“Anywhere we can talk?” Kevin asked with a sigh of annoyance.

“Right this way gentlemen,” he replied politely and led them to the elevator where they headed to the second floor and into a large meeting room. The agents were surprised to see most of the Serpents gathered and Keller looked at Jughead with a shake of his head.

“Again, just you would be fine.”

“And like I said at the hospital, they go where I go,” Jughead replied, leaning against the long table and crossing his feet at the ankles, his arms folded across the chest.

“All right, whatever you want,” Keller said. He looked around the room, tapping the file he was holding against his palm. “So, Jughead Jones and his Serpents,” he said with a smirk as he dropped a folder on the table. Jughead straightened in surprise. He hadn’t given his name at the hospital and signed Jellybean in under her fake identity, something they all had and all used.

“How do you know who I am?” he asked warily. The man laughed and pulled out a chair to sit down.

“Oh, we know who you are. In fact, we know who all of you are,” he said as he opened his file. Jughead looked at it and was shocked to see surveillance of each of them, and their names written on each photo. Their real names.

“Shit,” came Toni’s shocked whisper as she glanced at the photos. They were being watched by the feds and Jughead suddenly felt like someone sucker punched him.

“You’re watching us?” he asked calmly.

“We weren’t,” Mason said with a shrug. “But another team was. We got called in because of this,” he said, pushing the picture of the mark on JB’s ankle toward him. 

“When we saw this…” Keller added, pushing the picture of her tattoo toward him. “We knew she was a Serpent.”

“And how exactly do you know the Serpents?” Jughead asked, a scowl on his face.

“Do you really think you can steal million dollar paintings, jewels and cars without alerting the FBI?” Keller asked with a laugh.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Jughead smirked. The man pulled another picture and put it in front of him. It was a painting they had fenced a few months earlier and Jughead tried not to react.

“You sold this to an FBI agent.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said again. Keller sighed and put the photos back in the file. 

“We aren’t here about your business dealings. That’s not our department. We’re here about this,” Mason said, pointing to the mark on JB’s skin.

“So then what does that have to do with us?” Jughead asked, his voice only mildly curious but on the inside he was barely holding it together. The god damned feds were on to them and there was literally nothing he could do to talk his way out of this one. “If we’re not your department, why exactly do you have our file?” Jughead asked.

“Because, Mr. Jones, you and your Serpents are good at finding things,” Keller explained with a smile.

"And what exactly do you want us to find?"

"Chic Cooper," Keller said with a smile.

“Why would we help you?”

“Because if you do, we can make this…” Keller dropped his hand on the file and pushed it toward the other agent who picked it up and held it behind his back. “Disappear.”

“Now why would you do that?” Jughead asked. Keller leaned toward him, his hands braced on the table.

“I care about the girls going missing in this city. I care about catching a monster that deserves a firing squad. I don’t give a fuck about a bunch of thieves stealing pretentious shit from pretentious rich people. You find me Chic Cooper and your file disappears.”

“How are you going to explain that to the bureau?” Jughead wondered.

“What makes you think the bureau isn’t in on this deal?”

“If we help you find Chic Cooper, our file just disappears, just like that?”

“Well, not just like that, there are conditions, but I’m not ready to say what those are just yet,” Kevin explained and Jughead just raised an eyebrow and let out a laugh. Helping the feds without all the details and being expected to trust them was putting an even bigger target on their back than already was. He wasn’t going to put his serpents in harm’s way. At that moment, Archie suddenly appeared in the doorway and Jughead looked at him, his eyes questioning. The redhead nodded and came further into the room.

“Ah, Archie is it?” Agent Mason asked with a smile. Archie looked at Jughead in surprise, opening his mouth to say something and Jughead lifted his hand slightly and shook his head. He turned back to Agent Keller.

“So, you want us to help you find Chic Cooper, in return you’re willing to make our file disappear but there are conditions you won’t tell us? And you expect me to agree? To trust you with the lives of those here without questioning you?” Jughead asked with a frown. “These people are my family; I’m not going to just fuck with their lives and safety.” Agent Keller seemed to sense his dilemma and leaned over the table.

“Jones, this man grabbed your sister, planned on selling her to some pervert, beat her and broke bones, shot her and dumped her in the river like she was trash.” Jughead stayed quiet but his hand curled into a fist, his jaw clenching. Agent Keller decided to use another tactic. “Or I could arrest Sweet Pea right now for hacking into an FBI database and stealing files,” he said with a shrug.

“You slimy piece of shit,” Pea snapped, stepping forward, his fist clenched.

“You want to add assault to that charge?” Mason asked. 

“I want to know the conditions,” Jughead demanded. 

“Wait, you’re thinking of helping them?” Tall Boy asked, an angry scowl on his face.

“By the looks of things,” Jughead pointed out, lifting the file. “We’re in deep shit either way.” He turned back to the agents. “What are the conditions, besides helping you nail this guy, that will make our file goes away and we don’t all go to prison.”

“When this is done, you leave the country,” Kevin said.

“Fuck you,” Cheryl said with a laugh. Moose turned to look at her and smiled, picking up the file and pulling out some papers.

“Cheryl Blossom aka Abigail Winters when need be. Street rag, runaway at 15 from an abusive parent, joined the Serpents at 17, girlfriend to Toni Topaz, prefers non-fat latte’s over full fat and doesn’t eat meat. Did I leave anything out?”

“How the fuck do you know all that?” she gasped. Jughead sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and finger to try fending off a sudden headache.

“I don’t think you’re getting it,” Kevin said, grabbing the file and throwing it on the table. “We know all about you guys. There has been a shadow on your asses for two years, finding out everything there is to know about you, waiting for you to fuck up. The only problem is, you’re very very good and you never leave a shred of evidence behind and you always disappear right before a heist and then reappear again right after. We know it’s you, we just can’t prove it.”

“What about the painting you think we sold you?” Jughead asked with a smirk.

“Well, interestingly enough, we were sold this by a guy who’s actually been dead for 40 years and what’s even more strange, his fingerprints are all over it. So how do we tell the higher ups that you sold us this, if the guy who’s trail we picked up is a dead guy.”

“Hmmm, that is interesting,” Jughead said with a shrug. “Sounds to me like you don’t have shit on us except our names and where we come from.”

“Let me spell it out for you,” Keller said, getting impatient. “We have an entire team dedicated to taking you guys down. It’s all they’ve been doing and it’s all they’re going to do until they get what they need. So, if you like the idea of your every move being watched from now on, if you like having to step up your game and hope you don’t get caught, then by all means, carry on. Or, you can help us catch this bastard and this entire trafficking operation and the FBI forgets they know you and lets you retire to some tropical island with all the millions I’m sure you have.” 

The room was quiet and everybody was looking at Jughead and he suddenly wished the earth would swallow him up. He had taken them all on this ride of high stakes theft and now they were on the verge of getting buried because somewhere along the way they had fucked up and let something slip and now the FBI knew all about them.

“Come back in two days,” he finally said. “We’ll let you know then.”

“This isn’t…” Mason began to protest.

“Two days,” Jughead snapped with an angry glare. The man was going to argue and Agent Keller shook his head at him and smiled at the group.

“I’ll see you in two days,” he agreed and motioned with his head to his partner to follow him and they left. They didn’t bother taking their file with them. Cheryl snapped it up and walked out with it, pulling out papers with Toni running after her.

“Fuck!” Jughead yelled, kicking a chair across the room. He rested a hand on his hip while the other ran angrily through his hair.

“You sure got us in a mess of fucking trouble boy,” Tallboy said angrily and Jughead turned to scowl at him.

“You call me _boy_ again and I’ll break your god damned face,” he said furiously, before turning to storm from the room with Archie and Sweet Pea hot on his heels.

“Where is he?” Jughead asked out in the lobby and they didn’t have to ask who he meant.

“Basement,” Archie replied and they walked to the stairs and headed down. 

 

 

Betty scrambled off the bed when she heard the key in the lock on her door. She went to the window and pulled herself together and lifted her chin in a small show of defiance when Chic walked in. She hadn’t seen him for a few days and whenever she did, no matter what he had done to her the previous visit, she refused to show him that she was afraid. She refused to cower in his presence. She may have stopped trying to fight him, and she may feel like her spirit was crushed, but she’d be damned if she would cower.

“You’re up, good,” he said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. Betty clenched her fists and said nothing. He walked over to her and stared down at her fists, grabbing her wrists and squeezing painfully until she relaxed her fingers. “I told you not to do that!” he snarled. She turned her face away and he grabbed her chin in a bruising grip, forcing her to look at him. “Always so defiant,” he laughed. “You’d think after all the times I’ve had to teach you a lesson that you would learn to heel.”

“So I’m a dog now?” she asked, her voice void of emotion.

“Oh no, my darling Elizabeth, you’re most definitely not a dog.”

“Funny, I thought a dog was taught to heel,” she replied. Chic ran the back of his finger along her cheek, his eyes running over her face.

“So beautiful,” he whispered, almost to himself. Betty swallowed and willed her chin not to tremble. “It’s too bad I have to let you go.” She had no idea what he meant but the odd look in his eyes told her that he didn’t mean he was letting her go to be free and she felt the fear coil in her stomach. “I’m leaving and I have a prior engagement this evening so I can’t take you with me just yet, but somebody will be by to pick you up tomorrow.”

“Where….where am I going?” she asked in surprise. 

“To your new life, Elizabeth,” he said with a smile that made her skin crawl. He leaned in and pressed his cold lips to her cheek and she forced down the bile that rose in her throat. He stepped back and his eyes travelled over her slowly and she stepped back and hugged her arms around herself. He turned and left the room and she heard the lock click again. 

Betty collapsed on the edge of the bed, her body starting to tremble. She scrubbed at her cheek to get the vile feel off of it and then lowered her face in her hands. Her new life? She knew deep in her heart that her new life would just be another form of hell.

 

 

In the basement of the Serpent building, in a dimly lit storage room, Reggie was sitting in a chair, bleeding from a cut on his forehead and lip, Fangs standing guard over him. Jughead looked at Archie and he shrugged.

“He didn’t want to come,” he explained.

“The fuck do you want, Jones?” Reggie spat, glaring at him. Jughead stood in front of him, legs braced apart, arms folded over his chest.

“Where do I find Chic Cooper?” he asked flatly. Reggie’s eyes went wide and he sank back into his chair. His eyes darted to Archie, Fangs and Sweet Pea before landing back on Jughead, fear crossing his face.

“I swear to God Jug, I had nothing to do with what they did to Jellybean,” he said fearfully. The look that came over Jughead’s face put the fear of God into Reggie. 

“What did you just say?” Jughead asked, his voice deadly.

“You mother fucker,” Pea roared, grabbing Reggie by the shirt and slamming his fist into his face. 

“Pea!” Jughead snapped, pulling the man back. He pushed him aside and leaned over and grabbed Reggie by the neck and squeezed. “You better fucking start talking and I mean now! You knew it was Jelly??”

“I recognized her tattoo,” Reggie sputtered. “She was wearing shorts and she looks just like you and I knew it was her even though I hadn’t seen her in years. I tried to help her.”

“How exactly did you try and help her,” Jughead growled, his hand squeezing a little harder. Reggie’s face was getting red and he gasped for breath.

“Jug,” Archie said gently, putting a hand on his friend’s shoulder. Jughead eased his hold and stepped back and Reggie gasped, his hand on his throat. “Talk Reggie.”

“I told her to fight,” Reggie said, his voice hoarse. “They made me move her to another room and while I was walking with her, I told her to fight. It was the only way she was going to be free. If she fought hard enough, they would dump her.”

“You mean kill her?” Jughead fumed, his fists clenching.

“I didn’t know he would shoot her. I knew she would get hurt, but I figured they’d just dump her somewhere. I swear, I didn’t participate in it Jughead. I swear on my life.” Reggie insisted, his voice trembling.

“Why would you tell her to fight if you knew it might get her killed?” Archie asked angrily. Reggie looked at him and swallowed.

“Because even that was better than what they had planned for her,” he insisted. Jughead closed his eyes and tried to calm some of the fury inside him. “I’m…I called 911 when they dumped her, Jug. If I hadn’t she would have died in the river.”

“What exactly did they have planned for her?” Fangs asked, having quietly observed up until that point.

“She was going to be sold to a guy by the name of John Thames,” Reggie explained and Jughead looked at Sweet Pea. That had been one of the names on the list. “He would buy girls and he throws parties where they are auctioned off several times a night to whoever paid the most. I don’t think I need to explain what they did with them. That’s what her life would have been with this guy until he got rid of her. He throws parties every weekend.” 

Jughead backed away, wiping a hand over his face as he turned to stare at the wall for a minute. He couldn’t fathom in his mind how people could be that evil. When he turned back to Reggie, he could see the man was terrified.

“Chic is the one who shot her?” he asked.

“Yes. Malachi, his right hand man, is the one who was beating on her. Him and a guy named Chuck. A couple of others hit her a few times, but he did most of the damage.”

“You want to explain to me how the fuck you ended up with a group of sex traffickers?” Jughead asked, still not believing the guy he grew up with could sink so low.

“I joined up with them a couple years after your father kicked me out. I thought they were drug runners. Turns out, that’s just a cover for the more sinister dealings. I had no idea about the women until I was in too deep,” Reggie explained. “And once you’re in, the only way out is in a body bag.”

“So, where is he?” Jughead asked again.

“I don’t know,” Reggie insisted. “He moves around all the fucking time and only Malachi knows where he is when he does.”

“Well, then you’re completely useless to me,” Jughead shrugged. He turned to look at Archie. “Call Keller and tell him we have one of Chic’s men.” 

“Who’s Keller?” Reggie asked quickly, back to sounding scared.

“An FBI agent,” Jughead informed him as he started leaving the room. 

“Fuck,” Reggie gasped. “You’re handing me over? I’ll fucking rot in prison for the rest of my life.”

“Not my problem Mantle.”

“Wait, wait!! I know where he keeps his sister.” Jughead paused and turned around in surprise. “I know where he keeps her,” Reggie said again, nodding his head.

“Her? Not them?”

“No, he….he sold Polly almost a year ago.”

“Fucking hell,” Archie muttered. “He sold his own sister?” Reggie nodded and looked back to Jughead. “What about the other one?”

“Betty. He’s weirdly obsessed with her and keeps her basically a prisoner. I know where she is.” 

“Where?” Jughead snapped. Reggie quickly told what he knew and when he was finished, Jughead delivered a solid punch and he was out cold. “Tie his ass up and keep him locked up. I’m not finished with him,” he ordered before he left the room.

“Whats the plan, Jug?” Archie asked, quickly following him.

“Eye for an eye, Arch,” was all Jughead offered. Archie stopped and watched him walk to the stairs.

“Shit,” he muttered.

 

Jughead walked up to the fence that surrounded the building Reggie had told him held Chic’s sister. It would have appeared deserted were it not for a few flickers of light in a few windows. He looked around and noted the cameras and adjusted his ear piece.

“Shut it down,” he said, his voice low. He watched and when the camera stopped moving he quickly scaled the fence and dropped on the other side. He walked up to what he assumed was the front door, a solid steel barrier with many locks, and plastered a smile on his face as he banged on it with his fist.

It took a while but the door was suddenly opened and 3 men with guns stood on the other side, looking at him like he was an alien.

“Who the fuck are you?” one of them asked.

“Could any of you gentlemen tell me where I can find Chic Cooper?” he asked with a wide smile. They were only surprised for a moment before he was grabbed and pulled inside. He put up a fight but they managed to rough him up and drag him down some stairs into what looked very much like a jail cell. Jughead struggled as they hauled him over to the wall and before he could fight them off, found his wrists in shackles above his head and chained to a wall.

“Now, who the fuck are you and how do you know Chic Cooper?” one of them spat. The man's confident angry look seemed to falter and he swallowed nervously as a slow smile, that didn’t quite reach the eyes, spread across Jughead’s face.

 

A few floors above them, Betty lay huddled on her bed in fear of what was to come. Had she been by the window, she would have seen the shadows come alive and make their way over the fence and across the yard.


	3. Promises

_Keep every promise you make and only make promises you can keep. ~~ Anthony Hitt_

 

Jughead smiled at the three men in front of him and it unnerved them which made him smile wider. He gathered that they had never had a prisoner grinning at them.

“What the fuck are you smiling about?” one of them growled.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Jughead said with a laugh. “Was I supposed to be crying in fear?” One of them pulled a knife and stepped closer, holding it to his throat.

“You think it’s a good idea to be a smart ass right now?” the man asked. Jughead would have shrugged if his arms hadn’t been stretched above his head. The shackles were cutting into his wrists and he was irritated. 

“I don’t like knives,” Jughead said, his voice casual and calm. “In fact, they kind of piss me off.”

“Is that right?” a different guy asked.

“Yeah, that’s right. In fact, the last guy who pulled a knife on me ended up with it stuck in his leg.”

“Hey, dumbass,” the third man snarled. “You’re chained to a fucking wall. How exactly are you going to do anything about the knife? Peter, get the long chains.” One of the men hurried to do as he was told and reached up and attached them to the shackles. 

“Get his sweater off.” 

Jughead gritted his teeth as the man sliced through his clothing and ripped it off until he stood bareback. 

“You boys have a crush on me?” he asked with a smirk when they paused to stare at his muscular torso. 

“What’s with the wrap?” the man with the knife asked, motioning to the binding Jughead had around his lower abdomen. He had pulled a lower back muscle a little that morning when he had been beating the shit out of a boxing bag and he bound it tight so he wouldn’t feel it but he wasn’t about to tell this moron that.

“It’s a fashion thing,” he said with a smile. 

“You feel like playing a little?” the man asked with a smirk. He held the knife to Jughead’s throat again and reached to unfasten his arms from the chains that held them above his head. He scrambled back as his arms fell, and though still chained, he now had movement and could walk forward a couple of steps. 

Wow, they weren’t in the least bit smart. 

He straightened and braced his legs, slowly clenching his fists. To see just how jumpy these idiots were, he yanked his arms forward, tightening the chains on their anchor. He, of course, couldn’t pull them from the wall but the sudden movement and clanging noise had the three men visibly jump. They made sure they were just out of reach.

“He’s like an angry dog on a leash,” one of them giggled and Jughead felt his blood boil. He reined it in and smiled.

“I have a question,” Jughead said calmly. He was getting tired of these morons, who enjoyed pretending they had some kind of power over him, which was their mistake.

“If you’re going to ask where to find Chic Cooper, don’t bother,” the man with the knife spat.

“Oh no, I wasn’t going to ask about him,” Jughead shrugged. “I was going to ask about the door.”

“What door?” 

“The front door,” Jughead smiled.

“Why the hell are you asking about the door?” one of them questioned, confused. 

“Oh, I was just wondering if you guys remembered to lock it after you grabbed me and pulled me inside. You ought to be careful around here, open doors attract snakes.” The men stared at him for a minute and then looked at each other. They turned together to run and check the door and stopped dead in their tracks. The one with the knife was so surprised; he foolishly took a step back.

Jughead moved suddenly, and so quickly, it barely registered to the three men before the one with the knife had an arm wrapped around his neck and he was pulled back in a painful lock, the knife dropping to the ground.

“Gentlemen, I’d like you to meet my snakes,” Jughead said with a smile as his arm tightened painfully. They all stared at the row of black clad figures lined up inside the cell.

“How did you…” one of the men spoke, then trailed off, flabbergasted. “How the fuck did you all get in here?” he managed when he tried again. They all wore ski masks and the two in the middle were holding guns trained on them. Chic Cooper’s men didn’t care so much anymore about keeping their boss safe and they quickly raised their hands. 

“Any one of you idiots have a key for the shackles?” Archie asked behind his mask. Both the men pointed without looking to the third, still in a head lock by Jughead. “Well, I suggest one of you reach into his pocket then.” One of the men scrambled over and felt around until he had the key and quickly freed Jughead as he dropped the man he was choking to the ground, and he lay there, wheezing a little. Jughead rubbed his wrists and grabbed the man on the floor, lifting him up and slamming him against the wall and soon had him shackled the same way he had been, arms above his head. 

A solid blow from Sweet Pea and Fangs had the other two unconscious at his feet and he slowly picked up the knife and smiled at the chained man. 

“What’s your name?” Jughead asked casually, sliding his finger along the knife blade, checking the sharpness of it. 

“Si…Simon,” the man gasped out in fear. 

“Well, Simon, do you think you could possibly tell me where I can find the Cooper girl?”

“Fourth floor, room 17,” the man quickly spat out and Jughead raised his eyebrows. 

“Wow, I didn’t even get to torture you for info,” he said with a laugh.

“Please don’t kill me,” the man whimpered. Jughead smiled and walked up to him. 

“I won’t kill you Simon. I need you to give your boss a message for me.” The man nodded eagerly.

“Okay, okay, I’ll tell him whatever you want me to tell him,” he said quickly.

“First,” Jughead said with a slow smile that made the man’s chin tremble slightly. “I promise this won’t kill you, but it will hurt.” With that promise, Jughead slammed the knife into the muscle of the guy’s leg and he let out a pained cry. The look of Jughead’s face turned deadly as his eyes burned into the ones glazed with pain. “I don’t fucking like knives!” 

“You fuck,” the man whimpered out, taking gasping breaths. Jughead smiled again and he leaned in.

“You tell your boss that he made a grave mistake when he took the sister of a Serpent and the Shadow Thief sends his regards,” he murmured against his ear. He gave the knife a small twist and the man gritted his teeth, holding back his cry of pain. Jughead turned and headed for the door.

“Wait, wait…” the man gasped. The Serpents paused and turned to look at him. “He…he sold her yesterday and she’s supposed to get picked up tomorrow. If you take her, he’s going to send a death squad after you.” 

Jughead smiled.

“I look forward to it.”

They left the room and Archie pulled off his sweater, leaving him in just a t-shirt and handed it to Jughead. He pulled it over his head as they moved to the stairwell, choosing to take the stairs so they wouldn’t alert anyone else who may be in the building.

“Was the knife really necessary?” Archie asked with a sigh as they headed up.

“He’s lucky I didn’t put it in his fucking neck,” Jughead retorted.

“I can’t believe that fucker sold his other sister,” Pea let out in shock.

“Well, we came just in time then,” Jughead said firmly. They paused when they got to the fourth floor and he eased the door open. He saw nobody in the hallway and stepped out of the stairwell. “Okay guys,” he said softly. “Reggie told us she’s kept prisoner and now we know she’s been sold, so we have no idea what we’ll find, so be careful with her.” The group nodded and they headed silently down the hall until they stood in front of door 17. Jughead tried the doorknob, not surprised to find it locked.

He stepped back and Archie moved forward and pulled out his tools and set to work on the lock. It took him only seconds and it clicked open.

 

Betty was laying on her bed, sleep eluding her, when she heard a faint noise at the door. She sat up and glanced at the time on her alarm clock and saw it was 2:00 am. When she saw the knob turning, she started to panic because nobody had ever come to her room in the night and since she was leaving in the morning, was someone going to take advantage of her last night here? She quickly turned on the lamp and when the door swung open, she scrambled off the bed, putting it between her and whoever was coming in.

She froze in surprise and her eyes widened at the man who walked through the door. She had never seen him before and he paused and stared at her, his eyes taking in her old cotton pajamas and when they settled back on her face, they seemed to burn into hers. From his black clothes to his black hair, he seemed larger than life and it was as if he took up the entire room. She felt herself tremble and when he took a step toward her, she panicked and quickly backed up into the wall. 

“Please don’t hurt me,” she whimpered, thinking it was the only possible reason he could be there. He paused, his brow furrowed in concern and then to her surprise, a few more black clad figures hurried into the room. A small slender figure moved in front of the man and a hand reached up and pulled off the black ski mask on their head and Betty blinked in surprise when a shocking amount of fire red hair tumbled down, framing the exquisite pale face of a woman. She smiled at her and held up her hands slowly, taking a step forward.

“It’s okay,” the red head said softly. “We’re here to help.”

“Help?” Betty asked in confusion, trying to calm her racing heart. Another figure stepped forward, pulling of the ski mask and Betty stared in confusion at all the pink hair that fell and framed yet another beautiful face. She decided she must be dreaming and clenched her hands. She felt the nails and realized she was very much awake. Whoever they were, they were certainly colorful. It made her dizzy and she focused back on the man standing behind them. He hadn’t moved at all and he hadn’t looked away from her either and he rather unnerved her.

“Yes, help,” the pink lady said with a sweet smile as she stepped forward. “We’re going to get you out of here.” Betty shrank back and shook her head, gripping her hands in front of her.

“No, no, I can’t leave,” she insisted, looking at the others as they pulled off their masks. They were men and they didn’t seem as friendly as the women. “Chic will find out,” she gasped. “I’ll get in trouble, he gets really angry.” She was looking at the man who had first entered again and felt her stomach lurch at the furious scowl that crossed his face. This man could snap her like a twig if he wanted to and right now, he looked angry enough to do it. “Please don’t hurt me,” she whispered again, pressing against the wall. His face immediately softened and he was back to looking concerned. He stepped forward and the two women moved aside.

“We’re not going to hurt you,” he spoke quietly and the soft timber of his voice surprised her. He confused her, this man who seemed to radiate power and control had the most gentle voice she’d ever heard from a man. Chic had always looked like a spineless sniffling wimp to her and yet his voice had always terrified her, sinister and vile, even when attempting to be gentle.

“Can you come sit?” the woman with red hair asked with a smile as she stepped forward and motioned to the bed. Betty shook her head and pressed against the wall.

Jughead watched her quietly and he could see the fear radiating off of her. He took in her haggard half-starved appearance and he wanted to break Chic Cooper’s neck. It was very obvious she had been seriously mistreated, her skin pale, dark circles under her eyes. Her pajamas hung loosely on her too thin frame and she looked gaunt, almost emaciated. He wondered when she had last had a good filling meal.

She kept looking over at him and he could see her trying to figure out if she should be afraid of him or if she should trust him. Cheryl stepped closer and held out her hand.

“Betty, is it?” she asked softly and was met with a surprised gaze and a quick nod. “I promise you, we’re not here to hurt you. We’re here to help you.”

“How?” she asked, her voice trembling.

“We’re going to get you out of here.” 

“Why?”

“So you’re safe,” Cheryl said softly.

“Chic will…” Betty began fearfully.

“Chic will have no idea where you are and he won’t hurt you,” the pink haired lady insisted.

“I can’t,” Betty insisted. “Someone is picking me up tomorrow and if I’m not here…”

“Okay, we don’t have time for this,” the man spoke again and his voice held a hard edge this time and she clenched her fists. “You need to come with us,” he insisted, stepping closer to her. 

Jughead made the mistake of touching her and she reacted violently. It was honestly like trying to wrangle a wild kitten as she scratched and kicked and swung her arms, desperate to get away. He didn’t know what to do so he simply wrapped his arms around her to pin hers to her side and she struggled against him. She felt like skin and bones in his arms and she was in no condition to fight him off and wore out rather quickly, her furious yelling turning into frightened sobs and then to his shock, her eyes rolled in the back of her head and she slumped against him.

“What the hell?” Cheryl exclaimed, rushing over. “Did she faint?”

“I think so,” Jughead sighed. “She’s fucking half starved and doesn’t have the strength to fight anyone off, but that makes this a little easier,” he resigned as he picked her up in his arms and headed to the door. Cheryl looked around the room and didn’t see much for belongings but there were some personal items and pictures and she grabbed the pillow and pulled off the case and quickly threw things in there and ran after the group as they left.

They managed to get back outside without being seen and Jughead wondered just how many people were actually assigned to the building. It didn’t seem like there was anybody else there and the men in the basement were the security Chic left behind. He wasn’t very smart it seemed.

Fangs had gotten the gate open and the van was waiting with a younger Serpent at the wheel and they quickly left the area. It was a large van that they had modified with seats along the sides so it was an easy climb in and out for a large group. Jughead sat behind the driver, the woman cradled in his arms because laying her on the floor didn’t seem decent. Cheryl handed him a blanket and he wrapped it around her, trying not to jostle her too much. 

“Will you be able to carry her through the tunnels with your pulled muscle?” Toni asked. “Maybe we should take the risk and drive up to the building.”

“No,” Jughead said quickly. “The only reason we can disappear and reappear before and after heists, or after doing shit like this, is to take the tunnels like we always do. I’ll be fine. She barely weighs anything.”

“So, she’s 21?” Cheryl asked. “God, she looks so young and tiny and it’s clear she’s been neglected. What kind of sick pig would do this to his own sister? And who did he sell her to? In the condition she is in, she wouldn’t have lasted long if they had anything horrible planned.”

Jughead said nothing, looking down at the slip of a woman curled in his lap. Her fear had been real and he had no idea how she was going to react when she woke and found herself in a strange place, but he knew she would be a hell of a lot more comfortable than she had been. He studied her face in the shadows of the van and took in her smooth, pale skin. The deep shadows under her eyes. The _too sharp_ cheekbones from being too thin. Even in her condition, she was pretty and he wondered just how pretty she would be once she regained her health.

They rode back to their stop in relative silence, with it being the middle of the night, most were ready for bed and he felt bad that they had a hike through the tunnels yet. His Serpents were strong though, determined and resilient and this wasn’t the first time they had pulled off a job in the middle of the night. The van eventually pulled into an underground parking garage and parked in a dark corner and they climbed out and headed to a side door that they had long ago secured a key for. It led into the underground engineering tunnels that were only used to access water and sewer lines. 

It was damp and dark and they found their well hidden supplies and slipped on the head lamps and started the walk beneath the city streets that would lead them to their building. It was about a mile on foot and they had done it many many times and it kept them safe. Even though up until now they had been sure nobody knew where they lived, they never took the chance of just driving up to the place after a job, in case they were followed. Jughead decided he was going to find out where they had screwed up that the feds knew about them.

He cradled Betty in his arms as they walked, and like he had said, it wasn’t a problem as she seemed light as a feather. He was slightly concerned that she hadn’t woken yet and he wondered if she had simply just slipped into deep sleep after she fainted. It was the middle of the night after all and she had been weak and exhausted. 

They finally got to their marked door that led out of the tunnels and into the basement of their building. Once safely inside, and the door once again locked, Archie and Pea headed for the security room to make sure all had been fine while they were gone and Jughead stepped into the elevator with Toni and Cheryl to head up and the rest all scattered in different directions. Once back at headquarters, unless Jughead had made plans for a meeting room briefing, they all headed off to do whatever it was they did after pulling a job.

“Where will we put her?” Cheryl asked, smoothing the hair back from Betty’s face. 

“The adjoining apartment next to mine. It’s small enough to not overwhelm her and I want to keep an eye on her. Send Midge a text to come by tomorrow afternoon and bring her supplies,” he instructed and Toni pulled out her phone to send the message. They rode up to the floor that housed his apartment. 

Each floor had three full apartments and the very top had only two and those were occupied by his father and his grandfather. His floor was next and Archie occupied one apartment and Toni and Cheryl shared another. There was a smaller, studio guest apartment next to his that had an adjoining door and in past whenever he had a female in his life, if they ever ‘stayed over’ and wanted to spent the night after, he had always preferred they slept in the guest apartment because he didn’t want to wake up next to anyone. Something else his Serpents liked to rib him about. It wasn’t that he was an unfeeling clout, he just – well, maybe he was an unfeeling clout. He never could figure out why he needed them out of his bed as soon as they were done. It was the reason he had always made sure the women understood and only got involved with those that didn’t care.

“Guess you won’t be having any friends over for a while,” Cheryl said with a smirk and Jughead rolled his eyes.

“Shut up,” he muttered as the elevator came to a stop.

“Well, it’s been a good long while since there’s been a woman around for you. You turning into a monk or something?”

“Drop it, Cheryl,” he all but growled as they walked up to his apartment and she punched in the lock code. He carried Betty through the main room to a door just off the living area and Toni hurried to open it and he stepped into the small apartment. It was only a studio and a fraction of the size of all the other apartments but it was beautiful and comfortable. Cheryl pulled back the blankets on the bed and he laid Betty down gently before pulling the covers back up and tucking her in. Then to his surprise, she woke up. 

She blinked and let out a groan, squinting against the light, her hands coming up to rub her face. She froze then, realizing she wasn’t in her own bed. She shot up into a sitting position and scrambled back against the head board, staring at them with wide terrified eyes.

“It’s okay,” Cheryl said hurriedly, rushing over to sit on the edge of the bed. Betty shrank back when she lifted her hand and Cheryl quickly lowered it. “It’s okay,” she said again, softer this time. “You’re safe and nobody is going to hurt you. I promise.” Betty stared at her for a moment and then her gaze turned and settled on Jughead. He hadn’t noticed her eye color when they had taken her but the brilliant green of them in her pale face made his gut clench a little at the contrast. Lively and glittering when the rest of her looked ready to crumble.

“Where….where am I?” she asked in a whisper, pulling the blanket up to chest.

“Why don’t you get some rest and we’ll talk in the morning,” Cheryl suggested. “I promise you; we promise you, you are safe here.” Betty looked over at Jughead again and he offered her a small smile, hoping to ease her fear. With the way her brother had treated her, she had no reason to trust him, or any man for that matter. He decided it was probably better if he wasn’t there.

“I’ll let you get some rest,” he said softly and left the room, heading back into his apartment. He got himself something to drink while he waited and it took about 15 minutes before Toni and Cheryl came to join him, quietly closing the door behind them.

“She fell asleep again, but she’s scared and I’m not sure how much she believes us about being safe but she is tired enough to sleep. I put out the things I took with when we left the room she was kept in. Maybe if she wakes up and sees the photos and things she’ll feel a little safer. Tomorrow should be interesting,” Cheryl said quietly. She looked worn out and Toni was in much the same condition and he bid them goodnight and they went to their own apartment. Jughead finished his water as he stared at the closed door with the woman on the other side. Tomorrow would be interesting indeed. He took a quick shower and settled down to get some sleep.

 

It was an hour later when the screaming started. Jughead, who had settled on the couch, sat up with a start and looked around, confused. He realized it was coming from Betty and hurried into the room, finding her caught in what seemed like a rather terrifying nightmare.

“No, no,” she cried out, her arms flailing at some invisible monster. “Please, I’m sorry…” 

Jughead clenched his jaw and moved closer, settling on the edge of the bed. He caught an arm that was swinging and then the other and held both her hands in one of his, using the other to gently grip her shoulder, giving a small shake.

“Hey, it’s okay,” he said softly. “Wake up Betty, you’re having a bad dream.” She screamed again and he shook her a little harder, raising his voice. “It’s okay,” he insisted, moving his hand to cup the side of her head, stopping her head from flinging from side to side. “Betty….Betty, wake up!!” She suddenly came awake with a startled yell and gasped when she saw how close he was, pressing back into the mattress. He let go of her immediately. “You’re okay.”

“What….where….” she was confused, looking at him, her green eyes still clouded with fear.

“You were having a nightmare,” Jughead told her. “But you’re safe, you’re okay. Do you need anything? Something to drink maybe?” She shook her head but he got her a glass of water anyway and put it on the side table so she could reach it if she needed to.

“Think you can manage to sleep now?” he asked, his voice sounding concerned in his ears. She only nodded and he got up and headed for the door.

“Please….” She let out in a small whimper. Jughead paused and looked at her, his hand on the doorknob. “Please don’t lock it,” she whispered, her chin trembling. Jughead felt the anger boil inside him and he once again wanted to break Chic Cooper’s neck. 

“Do you want me to leave it open?” he asked. She nodded quickly and he gave her a small smile and left it open as he went back into his apartment. When he peeked in a half hour later, she was once again sleeping, curled up in a tiny ball under the covers, hugging the extra pillow to her chest.

 

When Betty woke hours later, the first thing she noticed was that she was warm. Warm and comfortable. She opened her eyes in confusion, staring at a high ceiling with beautiful wood beams and a cream colored paint between them. She slowly turned her head and squinted against the bright sunlight coming through the massive windows that took up almost the entire wall to the left of the bed. Where was she? Was she dreaming? She closed her eyes for a second and then it all came screaming back to her.

The black clad men and women that had been in her room last night, telling her they weren’t going to hurt her and that she was safe. She remembered fighting when the tall one with the blue eyes and fierce scowl had touched her. She didn’t remember much after that. She must have fainted. Or had they drugged her? It was all hazy and she briefly remembered being alone with the two women and them assuring her that she was safe. 

The man with the blue eyes. She had been dreaming that Chic was angry with her, that he was hitting her and then the man with the blue eyes had been there, telling her it was alright. He’d asked if she wanted some water. Betty slowly turned her head and saw the glass sitting on the bedside table, right next to her picture of her and Polly.

Betty gasped and sat up, grabbing the picture and holding it to her chest. She saw a few of her other items sitting on the table and she frowned in confusion. Where the hell was she and how had she gotten here? She looked around the room and her eyes widened at the beauty of it. 

It was much larger than the one she had been in yesterday, but not huge and the difference was shocking. This room was beautiful. It looked to be a studio apartment of sorts and not just a bedroom because there was a small kitchen with an island that included seating, serving as a table. There was a sitting area with a huge TV and her eyes widened at that. She couldn’t remember the last time she had watched TV. It was hung above a stone fireplace and a comfortable looking sofa and chairs facing it. The thick rug laying in front of it looked so inviting, she wondered how it would feel to curl up on it. There was a desk and chair across from the sitting area and an open door into what she assumed was the bathroom, as she could see the corner of what looked like a rather large shower. There was a door beside the tiny kitchen and it had a chain lock and a deadbolt and she realized it was the main door that must lead out into wherever this apartment was. There was another door, across the room from the bed and she stared at the ornate wood and she had a brief memory or the man with the blue eyes, asking her if she wanted it left open after she had begged him not to lock it. It stood slightly open and she realized, for the first time in a long time, she wasn’t locked in.

Wherever she was, it was the complete opposite of the bleak, tiled room she had been in for so many months. The floor in this place was a polished, dark hardwood that looked so clean, it shone and she knew immediately it would be warm and comfortable on her feet and not cold and hard. She took note of the bed she was in and let out a breath of wonder. Huge, king sized for sure, a beautiful dark wood four poster bed that looked fit for a queen, not for someone like her. There were piles of pillows behind her and the quilt she was under was thick and soft. 

Betty lay back down and pulled it up to her chin, her head sinking into the pillow. She decided she was dreaming and she was going to stay in the bed as long as she possibly could before her cold stark reality came crashing in on her. 

A soft knock at the half open door had her gasping and quickly sitting up again. The woman with the red hair slowly pushed it open and smiled at her. Betty glanced at the the items of clothing in her hand as she came into the room and over to the bed. 

“I thought you might like something fresh to wear and perhaps take a bath or a shower?” she suggested in a questioning voice. She seemed kind and her smile was welcoming and Betty once again became confused.

“Where am I?” she asked quickly.

“We’ll get to that later. Right now, I think you’d probably like to freshen up and have something to eat, perhaps?” Betty’s stomach rumbled loudly at the thought of eating and tried to remember when she had eaten last. It was the day before yesterday. A soggy cheeseburger that Chic’s woman, Penny, had basically thrown at her before slamming and locking the door on her again. 

“Who are you?” Betty asked, clutching the blanket.

“My name is Cheryl,” the red head answered with a bright smile. “And you’re Betty?”

“How….”

“Please, we’ll get to it later,” Cheryl said. “These are some of my clothes and you’re pretty thin right now and they might be a little big but they should be comfortable for now. I’m going to fix you something to eat while you use the bathroom.” Betty nodded, unsure of what else to say and the woman left, leaving the clothing on the bed. She ran her hand over the soft t-shirt and sweats and the underwear she had left her and let out a shaky breath. 

Betty got off the bed and grabbed the clothes and padded across the floor and she had been right, it was warm and comfortable on her feet. She entered the bathroom and let out a gasp of delight. Not only was there an enormous shower, there was a giant soaker tub as well. She couldn’t remember the last time she had soaked in a tub. All she had had in her prison was a tiny cramped moldy shower that didn’t make her feel any cleaner than before she went in. This bathroom was bright and sparkling clean. The double vanity was marble and she ran her hand over it and took note of all the soups and lotions and just about anything she could possibly need while in here. 

She saw a pretty glass jar and picked it up and found it was bubble bath. Pulling off the lid, she inhaled the wonderful floral fragrance. She had no idea where she was or what she was doing here and she had no idea how long she was going to be staying so she decided she better indulge while she could. She started a bath and poured in some of the bubble bath and immediately the room filled with the delicate scent and she felt tears prick her eyes. Her hands were shaking and she felt uncertainty coiling in her stomach. Putting the jar back on the vanity she looked at herself in the mirror and let out a shaky breath. She was a shell of her former self and had no idea who the girl was staring back at her. Did she still love to write? Did she still want to be a journalist? Did she still know how to fix an engine? Her brother had killed every dream she ever had and she didn’t know what she wanted anymore. Would she ever be free and on her own? Would she even know how to be on her own?

Betty slowly undressed and stood naked in front of the dressing mirror and watched the tears slowly roll down her cheeks. In her room she had been locked in, there had only been a tiny mirror in the bathroom and she had never been able to truly look at herself and she was horrified as she looked at her pale, thin body. She could count her ribs, her hip bones sharp and protruding, her stomach looking a little concave and her hair hung limp and lifeless, a pale yellow instead of the vibrant gold it had once been. Her eyes looked too large for her face and she closed them so she wouldn’t have to see anymore. 

Turning back to the tub, she slowly climbed in and let out a blissful moan as she sank into the bubbles. She leaned back and closed her eyes, letting the water soothe her tired and sore body. After a while she turned and looked at the bottles sitting on the little table beside the tub and picked one up. 

Shampoo. A luxury brand that she would have never dreamt of having in her possession. Everything on the table from the hair products to the soap and body wash to the bath salts and bubbles was expensive. The most she ever got from Chic was cheap bars of soap and her skin and hair showed it. After taking a good long soak, she wet her hair and grabbed the shampoo. She washed her hair three times, not knowing if she would get to do it again. The conditioner was so luxurious, she worked it into her hair until her arms tired. By the time she climbed out, she almost felt like a new person, but that was quickly remedied when she glanced in the mirror. She hurriedly toweled off with a large white fluffy towel and then got dressed in the clothes Cheryl had given her. They were too big of course, but they didn’t fall off, and they were clean and fresh and she felt extremely grateful.

Looking through the drawers, she found a comb and went back into the other room and unsure of what she should do, she went back to the bed and sat down and started to comb through her tangles. It took a while and she was just finishing up when Cheryl came back in, carrying a bed tray of food. Betty’s eyes widened when she placed it in front of her, staring at the food in disbelief.

“I wasn’t sure what you’d like so Toni and I fixed all sorts. Eggs, toast, bacon, pancakes, fruit. There’s also milk, juice, coffee or tea, whichever you prefer.” Everything she mentioned was on the tray and Betty didn’t know what she should try first. It had been so long since she’d had such a spread, she found her hand shaking a little when she reached for the orange juice. She took a sip and then started to down the entire glass and Cheryl let out a laugh and reached for it, gently pulling it away.

“Slowly, or you’ll make yourself sick,” she suggested. “It’s obvious you haven’t been getting many nutrients and you probably won’t be able to eat all this without getting sick, so may I suggest the milk, eggs, a slice of bacon and some fruit?” Betty nodded and started to eat. She tried to go slow but as soon as her body realized it was getting food, her hunger kicked in with such ferocity, it hurt and she ate quickly, barely pausing for breath. She ate all the eggs and bacon, a pancake and a few pieces of fruit and washed it down with the milk before she felt her body start to protest.

“Thank you,” she said quietly. The woman nodded with a smile and picked up the tray and stood. The man with the blue eyes appeared suddenly in the doorway and nodded to Cheryl as she hurried past him with the tray. 

“Is anyone ever going to tell me where I am and what’s going on?” Betty asked timidly, desperate for answers. 

“In time,” he said with a nod. “First, I’d like Dr. Klump to have a look at you.” A small woman with a kind smile appeared next to him, a stethoscope around her neck and a doctor’s bag in her hands.

“Why?” Betty asked, confused.

“To make sure you’re alright,” he offered. He turned and left, closing the door behind him and the doctor walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.

“Oh, don’t mind Jughead, he’s always been rather abrupt,” she said with a soft laugh.

“Jughead?” Betty asked, furrowing her brow. “His name is Jughead?”

“It’s a nickname that he’s had since we were kids. My name is Midge. I’d rather you called me that instead of Dr. Klump. What’s your name?”

“Betty, my name’s Betty. Do you know why I’m here?” Betty asked as the woman opened her bag and pulled out some things. Midge seemed a little taken aback at the question and she shook her head.

“All I know is that I woke up to a text this morning that I was needed here to look someone over and here I am and from the looks of things, someone hasn’t treated you very well, now have they?”

“You don’t know anything about me?” Betty asked. 

“Only that everyone seems very concerned about you,” Midge said with a smile, placing the stethoscope to her ears. She lifted the listening end questioningly and Betty hesitated for a moment, feeling unsure and apprehensive but the woman’s kind smile won her over. She leaned closer and the doctor listened to her lungs and heartbeat and nodded her approval. Next she checked her ears and throat and found those sound as well. “You haven’t been getting much to eat, have you?” she asked as she felt along her arms and legs and sides to make sure all was intact. Betty said nothing in reply. “Is it alright if I take some blood samples to get tested and make sure you’re not sick in any way you might not know?”

“Sure,” Betty said quietly. She winced when Midge poked her with a needle and looked away so she wouldn’t see the blood being collected. 

“When’s the last time you saw a doctor?” Midge asked as she collected her samples. 

“Right before my…..” Betty took a shuddering breath. “Right before my parents died,” she whispered. 

“I’m so sorry, love,” Midge said softly. “When was that?”

“Five years ago? I think.”

“Five years?” the doctor sighed. “What did you go for?”

“I…I was having problems with my cycle and was diagnosed with a hormone imbalance and the doctor put me on the pill to balance everything,” Betty said in a whisper.

“Did you keep up with the prescription after they passed away?” Midge asked. 

“No,” Betty shook her head. “My brother became my guardian and he wouldn’t let me see the doctor.”

“Okay,” Midge said, her voice a soft whisper. “Would you be alright if I did a complete physical? Just to make sure you’re alright?” Betty just shrugged and Midge shook her head. “I need you to tell me if it’s alright. I won’t do anything you’re not comfortable with.”

“It’s alright,” Betty whispered. 

“Okay, can you lie back for me?” Midge asked. “A couple of questions. Are you sexually active?” Betty quickly shook her head. “Has anybody ever hurt you in that way?” 

“No,” Betty said, her voice quivering. Her brother’s men had always terrified her and frankly, so did Chic but none of them had ever forced themselves on her. The exam took a while and by the time the doctor was finished, Betty felt exhausted and embarrassed. She sat up slowly and Midge took her hand gently and turned it over. Betty tried to pull away but the doctor kept a firm but gentle hold on her wrist.

“Did somebody do this or is this from you?” she asked softly. Betty lowered her gaze and flushed. “It’s alright Betty, I’ve seen many people who have self-harmed and I can’t imagine you’ve had it easy lately. Can you tell me when and why you do this?”

“When I feel overwhelmed and scared. When I’m anxious or angry.” 

“Okay,” Midge smiled softly. “Have you ever taken anxiety meds?” Betty shook her head. “I’ll make sure you get some. They will help.” The doctor got up and gathered her samples and supplies and put them in her bag. “I’ll be back as soon as I have the lab results and I’ll be sure to bring you your meds,” she said. “I’ll see you soon, okay?” Betty nodded and watched the woman leave, sinking back into the pillows and pulling the blankets back over herself. In minutes, she was once again fast asleep.

 

“So, what’s the verdict?” Jughead asked as soon as Midge was back in his apartment. Cheryl and Toni were waiting as well.

“Well, I don’t know where you found this girl or what her story is but she’s been horribly mistreated and abused. She’s seriously lacking in nutrients and I suggest whatever you feed her, make sure it’s nutrient dense, full fat, healthy food. No junk for a good long while. She’s got a fair amount of fading bruises as well as some recent so I’m going to assume a good beating happened within the last week. I took some blood samples to make sure there’s no other illness and I did a physical. She hasn’t been sexually abused or sexually active and is in fact a virgin so I’m thankful she hasn’t been through anything horrible on that front,” Midge sighed. 

“That’s good,” Cheryl said, sounding relieved. 

“Try to keep an eye on her and don’t stress her or upset her. She’s been self-harming,” Midge added.

“How?” Jughead asked with a frown.

“Digging her nails into her palms. She has quite a few scars so she’s been doing this for a while. I don’t know how long she’s going to be here with you guys, but a therapist might be a good idea. I’ll be back in a couple of days,” Midge said with a smile and left the apartment. Jughead sighed and ran a hand over his face. He was back to being furious.

“I’m going to fucking kill that bastard,” he growled. If Toni or Cheryl thought it interesting that he now vowed vengeance, not only on behalf of JB but also the man’s sister, they didn’t mention it.

 

 

“What the fuck do you mean, she’s gone??” Chic Cooper roared at the men he had left behind to guard Betty. “She is being picked up this afternoon!” 

“I’m sorry boss, there was too many of them,” Simon said, wincing at the pain in his leg from the knife wound. He had patched it up but it still hurt like hell. “The one we had chained to the wall used a knife on me and told me to tell you that you made a mistake taking the sister of a Serpent and the Shadow Thief sends his regards.”

“Who the FUCK is the Shadow Thief?” Came the furious scream.

“I don’t know, Boss,” came the timid reply.

15 minutes later, Chic climbed into the back of his car where Penny and Malachi sat waiting for him. They said nothing and waited until the fury left his face but it only burned hotter as the minutes ticked by. Chic turned and looked at Malachi.

“You find out who these Serpents are and you find me the Shadow Thief because he is a dead man!” Malachi nodded quickly and exchanged a look with Penny who shrank away from Chic, knowing not to try to console him in any way.

As they drove away from the building, they left three bodies behind in the basement that would probably not be found for a long time.

 

 

Betty woke from her nap a couple of hours later and went to the bathroom before slowly walking around the room she was in, curiously studying everything she found. It didn’t look like it was used a lot as there weren’t any personal items in it except her own. She took a step toward the open door and then turned and walked to the bed. She had no idea what she was allowed to do so she just made the bed and then settled on it, taking her photo of her and Polly and studying it with tear filled eyes.

“Ah, you’re awake.” 

Betty jumped in surprise and lifted her head to find Cheryl standing in the door way. “You feel up for a conversation?” she asked. Betty shrugged, wondering why it was up to her. Cheryl stepped back and then Blue Eyes, or rather, Jughead, as the doctor had called him, stepped into the room. He grabbed the chair by the desk and set it closer to the bed, straddling it backwards and folding his arms across the back.

“You feeling better?” he asked softly and she nodded, unsure what he meant. Better than the previous day? He wouldn’t even need to ask that because it was obvious. “You’re wondering who we are and why you’re here?”

“Yes,” she said quietly, trembling slightly at his serious gaze, his blue eyes holding hers in a silent demand that she didn’t dare deny. She didn’t look away and just waited.

“Do you know where your brother is?” Jughead asked and Betty’s eyes widened in surprise and fear. Of course this had something to do with her brother. Why else would someone take her? She shook her head and curled her hands into fists. Jughead’s eyes dropped, noticing her movement.

“Don’t do that,” he said softly and she clasped her hands together in embarrassment. “You have no idea where he is? Or where he might have gone?”

“No…I….I have no idea what my brother does or when I’ll see him next.”

“When did you see him last?”

“Yesterday,” Betty whispered. “He said somebody was going to pick me up today. Why are you looking for Chic?”

“You’re afraid of your brother?” Jughead asked. “He’s the one who hurts you?” Betty said nothing, feeling like her heart was going to beat out of her chest. She ached to curl her fingers in but didn’t dare do it while he was watching her. “I need you to know that you’re safe here, I promise that nobody is going to hurt you.”

“I don’t understand why I’m here or who you are,” Betty managed in a small voice.

“My name is Jughead Jones and I’m the leader of the Serpents. I know that doesn’t mean anything to you and it really shouldn’t, but that’s who I am and you’re under Serpent protection.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s very obvious that you need protection,” he said simply.

“But how do you know me? Or how do you know anything about me? Why did you come and take me?”

“You want the truth?” Jughead asked plainly.

“Please.”

“Your brother took and left for dead one of the Serpents. My sister is fighting for her life right now in the hospital with broken bones, a head injury and a gunshot wound to the chest.” Betty gasped, her eyes filling with tears and her hand covering her heart.

“Why would he….he shot your sister? But why? I don’t understand…” she whimpered out, tears falling down her cheeks.

“Do you know what your brother does for a living?” Jughead asked.

“He told me he’s in sales,” she whispered, her chin trembling.

“I’m not going to get into what your brother really does right now, but I told you I was going to be honest, so I’ll be honest. I didn’t know anything about you until a couple of days ago. I found out yesterday where your brother kept you and I’m sorry to be so blunt about this but the truth of the matter is, I took you to flush out your brother.”

“So, you’re using me?” she asked.

“I am, yes.”

“Well, my brother has made it clear many times that I’m useless, so I guess I’m good for something then, yes?” she commented bitterly. Jughead let out a heavy sigh and she could see the regret on his face.

“Your brother may say awful things to you, but if he’s kept you prisoner for so long, it’s clear that he values you for whatever sick reason he has and he is going to want you back.” 

“If he ever gets his hands on me again after this, he’ll probably kill me for inconveniencing him,” Betty said, her voice void of any emotion, having already resigned herself to her fate.

“I won’t let that happen,” Jughead insisted.

“And if he wins this war that you’ve just started? How will you protect me then?”

“First of all, _he_ started the war, and second, he won’t win,” Jughead insisted. “He’s going to pay for what he’s done. To my sister and to you. That I can promise you.” Betty stared at him, surprised at the fury she heard in his voice and saw in his face.

“You’re using me to get to my brother and yet you’re promising to avenge me? Does that make any sense to you? It’s about your sister, so please, you don’t have to pretend you care what happens to me,” she scoffed, feeling angry, even though she was afraid. 

“Yes, Betty, I’m using you, but only to draw him out and bring him to me. That’s the extent of it. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“You don’t know my brother,” she laughed.

“I think I know him better than you do,” he retorted.

“So, much like my brother has been doing for the past few years, you plan to keep me prisoner here until this is resolved?”

“You’re not a prisoner,” Jughead said gently. “I won’t allow you to actually leave the property because there isn’t anywhere you can go where you’ll be safe right now, but you can go anywhere you like on the premises.” She was surprised at that and some of her fear faded. “As of right now, you’re under my protection and the protection of the Serpents. I promise, Chic won’t get anywhere near you and when this is all over, you’ll be free to do what you like.” He stood and put the chair back to the desk. “I’ll have Cheryl get you some more food. There’s a bookshelf through the door if you feel like reading.” She said nothing for a long while, trying to digest everything he had said to her as she watched him. When it didn’t seem like she was going to say anything, he headed for the door.

“Jughead?” He turned and looked at her. “Do you always keep your promises?”

“Yes, I do,” he said firmly.

“Promise you won’t give me back,” she whispered. Jughead felt his heart squeeze at her plea, her eyes terrified at the mere possibility.

“I promise.”


	4. Trust

_You may be deceived if you trust too much, but you will live in torment if you don't trust enough. ~~ Frank Crane_

 

The screaming started in the middle of the night again.

Jughead, who had fallen asleep on the couch while reading a book and keeping an eye on the partially open doorway to Betty’s room, startled awake and hurried over to the door, pushing it open. Betty was once again caught in a nightmare. This time seemed different. While the night before she had been afraid, tonight, she was angry.

“Stop!” she cried out. “I won’t let you hurt me!” 

Jughead hurried over and sat next to her, catching her arm in mid swing and placing his other hand on her face and to his surprise, after a few moments, her movements slowed and she eventually stilled, leaning into his touch. Her hand clutched his and tears rolled down her cheeks. 

“Promise me,” she whispered, still fast asleep. Her nails dug into his hand and he let go of her face and laced his fingers through hers.

“I promise,” he whispered back, not sure of what else he should do. He didn’t want to wake her because she had calmed without breaking her sleep and when he moved to pull his hand away, she gripped him tighter. Jughead didn’t know how long he sat and held her hand but eventually her grip eased and he pulled away and gently pulled the blankets up to her chin and tucked her in. He brushed the hair off her forehead and let out a sigh. He was going to make sure that nobody ever hurt her again.

 

Jughead called a meeting the next morning and all the Serpents gathered in the meeting room to hear what he had to say.

“Alright,” he began, standing at the head of the long table. “You all know by now that we have Chic Cooper’s sister on the premises. I need you all to know and understand that she is a victim of her brother and his actions in no way reflect on her. She has been abused and half starved and doesn’t seem to be in the best mental state. As of right now, she is under Serpent protection and more specifically, she is under my protection. If anybody does anything to upset her, you’ll be answering to me,” he stated. Most nodded their understanding but some, like his father and Tall Boy only scowled in disapproval.

“Does she know what her coward of a brother did?” FP demanded.

“Yes,” Jughead said bluntly, matching his scowl. “I told her what Chic did, but she has no idea what he really does or that he sold her sister and I’m not about to lay that horrifying truth on her right now and if anybody tells her, you’ll again, answer to me. I am giving her access to the building to go where she wants but she isn’t allowed off the property, it simply isn’t safe. Once Chic finds out she’s gone and who took her, he’ll be coming after us.”

“Wait a minute, how would he know who took her?” Tall Boy asked. 

“I left a message,” Jughead smiled.

“Have you lost your fucking mind?” FP roared. 

“No, I haven’t,” Jughead said calmly. “I want that fucker to know who’s going to kill him. He’s not going to find our place, but, I know men like him, he’s arrogant and stupid and he will show himself and then, we move in. If you have a problem with my plan, you’re more than welcome to hand in your snake card,” he challenged. His father fumed at him and stormed out of the room.

“So, I guess that means you’ll be working with the feds then,” Tall Boy asked angrily. Jughead fixed his stare on him and wanted to punch the man. He was as bad as his father and just as angry that Jughead had changed the Serpents, but he stuck around because he liked the money.

“Yes, we will but we’ll run our own plan along side and I don’t want them knowing about the Cooper girl until I’m good and ready to reveal it. Understood?” They all nodded and a flurry of _yes boss_ made its way around the room. He waved his hand in dismissal and they got up and went about their business. 

“You realize that you’re going to war with powerful people?” Tall Boy asked, lingering back. “Sex trafficking rings are rarely just a bunch of low life idiots living in basements. The end line is usually powerful people in powerful places. People with money. This may be the dumbest thing you’ve ever done.”

“Excuse me?” Jughead asked, his voice livid. 

“I mean no disrespect, Jughead….”

“It sure as fuck doesn’t seem like that,” he snapped back. “And are you really suggesting I allow what happened to my sister to go unanswered? I’m just supposed to let this go?”

“No, of course now,” Tall Boy sputtered. “But the FBI? Giving info to a sex trafficker? I don’t think you’re doing what’s best for the Serpents,” he said with a glare. “If your father was still in power, he would…”

“What?” Jughead snapped. “Offer Chic Cooper some guns and cocaine to relax after a hard day? Because that is how he ran things, isn’t it? Running guns and drugs to everyone who created chaos? I’m trying to end chaos and you’re challenging me on my decision?”

“Look…”

“You can leave Tall Boy,” Jughead said, talking right over him and dismissing the man. Tall Boy stormed out and Archie, who had been lagging back as well, leaned back in his chair and lit a cigarette, taking a long drag as he studied his friend. Jughead grabbed his pack and lit one for himself.

“Something on your mind, Arch?” he asked as he sat down and lifted his feet to cross them at the ankles on the table. “You think I’m making a mistake too?”

“Oh hell no,” Archie said quickly. “I’m all in. We need to get these bastards. I’m just curious about your decision regarding Betty Cooper. Why do you feel so inclined to protect her? Why not just hand her over to the FBI? You know they would make sure she was alright.”

“I don’t trust them to do right by her,” Jughead shrugged.

“Why does it matter so much?” the red head asked as he took a long drag of his smoke.

“I promised I’d keep her safe.”

“Ahhh, a Jughead Jones promise,” Archie chuckled. “Well, she’s lucky then because I know you’ll die before you break a promise.” Jughead let out a rare smile and stood up. 

“I’m expecting the Feds back today, so let me know when they show and buzz them in,” he ordered.

“You got it,” Archie nodded as Jughead left the room.

 

Betty sat on the bed and looked at the time and saw that it was just after 10:00AM. She was hungry, having eaten twice the day before, before exhaustion claimed her and nothing yet today. She didn’t know what she was supposed to do, really. There wasn’t anything in the fridge in her room and she kept glancing at the door into the other room and finally, after spending half an hour working up the courage, she slowly got off the bed and walked over, pulling it open and taking a hesitant step through it.

If she thought her room was beautiful, this place was even more so. It was the same as her room, brick, dark woods, cream colors but enormous. She took in the dining area, the kitchen, the living area, all an open concept and everything was exquisite and seemed to gleam. 

Rich.

That was the only word she could think of. If this was the apartment of Jughead Jones, the man was very rich. She wandered over to the couch, a rich brown color and ran her hand along the back, enjoying the feel of the lush leather under her fingertips. She gently touched what seemed like expensive knick knacks standing around and then gasped when she looked at the wall of windows. The place had high ceilings and the window went from the floor right to the top and the view was breath taking. She was looking out over central park and New York City. 

She hadn’t thought to look out her own windows while in her own room as they were partially veiled by curtains and sheer hangings and now she realized she had the same view.

“Wow,” she whispered. She wondered now if when Jughead said she couldn’t leave the property if he meant the floor his apartment was on or the entire building. Could he possibly own the entire building? She concluded she was a good 15 to 20 stories up and it was astonishing. After a while, her stomach once again reminded her that she was hungry and she wandered over to the fridge and opened it and gasped.

“Oh my gosh,” she muttered as she looked at all the food. Vegetables, fruits, deli meats, yogurts, eggs, bacon, juice, milk, beer, water. There was more food than she had probably eaten in the last month in front of her. She reached in and grabbed a small bottle of orange juice and opened it, taking a sip. She sighed happily. She kept choosing the juice because she hadn’t had any in years. 

“Good morning,” a soft voice spoke behind her and Betty choked on her sip as she whirled around in shock. The bottle slipped from her grasp and crashed to the floor, the glass shattering.

“Oh my god,” she exclaimed, her eyes filling with tears. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t think it would be stealing, I was just hungry,” she whimpered in a rather pitiful voice. She glanced at the mess and then back to Jughead, her heart hammering in her chest and went to take a step back.

“Don’t move,” he ordered quickly, reaching his arm toward her to stop her. She flinched and stumbled back as if he was going to hit her, which was usually the case when Chic lifted his arm toward her, and felt a piece of glass cut into her foot. Jughead froze and she saw him swallow at her actions and she suddenly felt foolish.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered again, going still and lifting her foot to ease the sting of the glass caught in it.

“You don’t need to apologize,” Jughead said quickly, shaking his head as his eyes dropped to her foot which now had blood drops falling underneath it. “Shit,” he muttered. “I’m sorry I startled you.”

“I wasted the juice,” she said sadly, a tear slipping down her cheek.

“It’s fine Betty, I have more,” he said softly. “Is it okay if I lift you over the glass?” Betty stared at him in surprise and looked down and saw the mess she was making and gave a quick nod as there was no other way out of this. He moved slowly and placed his hands on her waist and before she could blink, he had her lifted and seated on the counter. He grabbed a paper towel and lifted her foot, and sighed with relief when he saw the glass was easy to grab and he shot her a look of remorse and pulled it from her foot, quickly placing the towel over the cut. Betty jumped slightly and reached down to hold it in place while he straightened and surveyed the mess on the floor. 

“I’m sorry,” she said again and he shook his head.

“Stop apologizing,” he said gruffly. “It’s fine. Let me just clean this up and I’ll tend to your foot.” He paused and looked at her and Betty swallowed. Up close the brilliant blue of his eyes was a bit startling. “Unless you’d rather I get Cheryl or Toni? They’re just across the hall.” 

“Okay,” Betty said with a nod, feeling a little overwhelmed at his nearness. She hadn’t been close to a guy in years except Chic and while she already deduced that this man was nothing at all like her brother, he still unnerved her. Jughead pulled his phone out and sent a message and went to get a broom to clean up the glass. A few minutes later, Cheryl walked into the apartment and she paused when she saw the mess and the bloody paper towel on Betty’s foot.

“What on earth?” she exclaimed. 

“I dropped….”

“The juice fell and she stepped into broken glass,” Jughead said Betty. “Figured you could help bandage the cut. First aid kit is in the drawer on the end.” Cheryl got it out and walked over, giving Betty a smile.

“It’s nice to see you up,” she commented as she got her to shift so she could put her foot on the counter.

“I’m…I was hungry,” Betty said quietly. Jughead paused, having forgotten her reason for being in his apartment. He grabbed a banana from the hook on the counter and handed it to her. 

“Eat this and as soon as we get this messed cleaned up, we’ll make something to eat,” he said with a small smile and she grabbed it gratefully. “I’m sorry I didn’t think to make sure you had something when you woke.” She simply nodded around a mouthful. Cheryl observed them quietly and opened a package of alcohol wipes.

“This will sting a little,” she said with remorse as she swiped at the cut. Betty barely flinched and Jughead furrowed his brow. He considered himself a pretty tough guy but alcohol on an open cut hurt like a bitch and he wondered how much worse she had felt at the hands of her brother that a painful sting was barely something to flinch over. He caught Cheryl’s eye and saw she mirrored the same concern. “Does it not hurt?” she asked Betty curiously.

“Yeah,” Betty let out, the tremor in her voice showing the truth of it. 

“It’s okay to voice that,” Cheryl said with a smile. “Hell, I’d probably tear up at the sting.” Betty said nothing and Jughead wondered at her steely resolve to not show she was in pain. Cheryl finished up with the foot and helped her slide off the counter. 

“Why don’t you have a seat on the stool here and we’ll fix you something,” she suggested. Betty looked at the stool and felt her body protest already. She had spent a few years being incredibly uncomfortable and she glanced over at the couch.

“Can I sit over there?” she asked softly, motioning to the couch. 

“Of course,” Jughead answered. Betty limped over and lowered herself onto the soft leather and let out a sigh of contentment. The arms rests were like large pillows and she lay on her side, resting her head on one and almost immediately fell asleep.

“Jughead?”

“Yes Cheryl?”

“When we find Chic Cooper, can I please be the one to pull the trigger?”

“You’ll have to get in line,” he said, his voice laced with anger.

“I wonder when the last time was that she actually slept peacefully and not afraid?”

“I don’t know,” Jughead murmured, recalling her last two nights with them and her nightmares. Did she have them every night? How long had she been having them where she just had to fight through them without anybody to comfort her?

“Need some help cooking?” she asked.

“Nah, but thanks for the offer and thanks for coming to help. I figured she’d be more comfortable with a woman doing it.”

“She seems pretty comfortable with you,” Cheryl observed. “Wary, but comfortable.” Jughead shrugged.

“I haven’t given her a reason not to be, I suppose,” he mentioned. 

“Yeah…” 

“What?” Jughead asked with confused expression at the thoughtful look on her face.

“Nothing,” she smiled. “I’ll see you later.” With that she left the apartment. 

Jughead sighed and he could about imagine what crazy ideas were going through her head and he honestly was scared to know. He looked at Betty on the couch and wondered what he could make for her. He glanced at the time and saw it was nearing noon and decided to make chicken caesar salad. He had some chicken breasts in the fridge and he seasoned them and got them on the grill pan. By the time he had the salad ready, he was quite hungry himself. He fixed two full plates and grabbed a beer for himself and some juice for her and walked with them over to the couch and crouched down beside Betty.

“Hey, time to eat,” he said softly, putting his hand on her shoulder and giving a gentle nudge. She slowly came awake, her eyes fluttering open. When she saw him right next to her, she sat up quickly, startled. “Food is ready,” he said with a gentle smile. She looked at the plate and reached for it, her stomach letting out a growl at the same time. 

“Thank you,” Betty whispered, grabbing the fork and digging in. Jughead left the juice bottle on the coffee table in front of her and settled on the chair next to the couch and grabbed the remote to turn the TV on while he ate his. It happened to be on a news channel and he noticed that she was immediately interested and it suddenly dawned on him that Betty probably had no idea what was going on with the world. After a few minutes of eating and silently watched, it switched to local news.

“Authorities still have no clues or suspects in the attempted murder of a young woman pulled from the East River with a gunshot wound to the chest a week ago and are asking for anybody with any information to please come forward….” The announcer’s voice trailed off and Jughead noticed Betty had frozen and stopped eating. She turned to look at him, her eyes wide and filled with tears.

“Is that your sister?” she whispered. He simply nodded and she let out a quivering breath. “I don’t understand. If you know my brother did it, why do the police not know?” she asked. Jughead said nothing and just held her gaze. “You don’t want them to know?”

“No,” he answered simply, his jaw clenched. Betty stared at him, understanding dawning.

“You’re going to kill him.”

“Yes.”

Betty nodded and put down her plate quickly standing and limping into her room. Jughead sighed and put his plate down and picked up hers and the juice and walked over to her door. She hadn’t bothered closing it and he realized it was security for her, even if it didn’t offer her privacy. He saw her curled up on the edge of the bed and sobbing into her pillow and he knocked softly and walked over, putting the plate and juice down on the side table. He crouched down beside the bed and gently touched her arm.

“Betty,” he said softly.

“I’m sorry,” she wept into her hands. “I’m sorry for what he did.”

“Betty, it’s not your fault,” he insisted. “I don’t blame you for your brother’s sins.”

“I don’t want to be related to him,” she whimpered.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly, his turn to apologize. She didn’t say anything and he stood with a sigh. “Make sure you finish your food,” he murmured and quietly left the room. 

 

A while later, Jughead got a text that the FBI had arrived and he looked in on Betty before he left, seeing she was fast asleep, he quietly left his apartment. When he got downstairs, Keller and Mason were already in the meeting room and the Serpents slowly trickled in from various parts of the building. Noticeably absent, much to Jughead’s annoyance was his father and Tall Boy. He would deal with them later.

“So,” Kevin Keller said, unbuttoning his suit jacket and getting comfortable. “What’s the word, Jones? You going to help us or are the lot of you going to jail.”

“Well, first of all, you don’t have shit on us to send us to jail, so no need for that threat and second, if we do this, we do it our way and you don’t interfere and all eyes are off of us the entire time. If we do this, you’re going to have to trust us.”

“We can arrange that. What about the conditions?” Keller asked. “I make your files disappear and you leave the country?”

“I will leave that decision up to each individual Serpent. We are all very good at hiding and should some of them choose to stay in the country, I doubt you would ever catch them.”

“I’m going to need names of the Serpents leaving so we can clear their files,” Keller insisted.

“We’ll let you know at the end. This is our risk and if some of us want to keep running and have you chase them for the sheer delight of it for the rest of their life, that’s completely up to them.”

“Works for me,” Mason shrugged as Keller glanced at him. “But you should know, if any of you choose to stay, they will be coming after you.”

“Understood,” Jughead nodded. “So, what is it you think we can help you with?”

Keller opened his brief case and pulled out a file. He opened it and laid it on the table, spreading out a few pictures of women. Cheryl glanced at him when she noticed the picture of Betty. He didn’t react and she simply gazed curiously at the pictures. None of the Serpents showed any reaction to the picture. 

“These are some of the women we believe Chic Cooper at some point got his hands on. You’ll notice the one on the left, Veronica Lodge, heiress to the Lodge empire, disappeared on a trip to Paris 4 months ago. Next to her is Ethel Muggs. Daughter of a prominent states attorney, disappeared 3 months ago on a trip to the mall. The two next to her, the Cooper girls, nobody has seen them in years and it’s safe to assume Chic sold his own sisters. Next to them, Penny Peabody, older than the rest by a few years but disappeared last year on the way to her parent’s house.”

“Why do you think it was Chic Cooper?”

“They all had the same M.O. as your sister. You assumed she was okay because you were getting texts. Same thing happened with these girls. Texts came for a couple of days and then nothing. Yet upon further investigation, the people looking for them said the texts seemed too cryptic and didn’t seem like them.”

“Yeah, my sister’s weren’t as wordy as usual but I passed it off as being tired or busy,” Jughead sighed. “And the Cooper girls you’re assuming are sold simply because they haven’t been seen?”

“That’s right,” Mason explained. “Of course we have files of other girls, but these are the most recent and the ones specifically from New York.”

“So why haven’t you been able to catch Chic? It seems to me like you’ve been close enough to him a few times with the surveillance,” Archie asked, arms folded across his chest.

“Well, that’s the problem,” Keller said. “Chic isn’t the big fish. He’s simply the middle man. Just as dangerous, but we need to get to his buyers as well because we think they in turn sell the women to an overseas market for a profit. There will always be pigs like Chic; we want to shut down the bigger operation.”

“And how do you expect us to do that?” Sweet Pea asked curiously.

“Well, that’s where all your thievery skills will come in,” Kevin said with a smirk.

“No idea what you’re talking about,” Jughead replied with his own smirk.

“Oh cut the shit, Jones, we know you’re the Shadow Thief, so stop denying it,” Moose barked. Jughead just shrugged and pulled out a cigarette. He lit it and took a long drag. “We need you guys to steal something for us.” 

“Well, why didn’t you just say so?” Jughead said with a grin as he leaned forward.

Kevin Keller rolled his eyes and pulled out another paper and set it on the table. It was the picture of a pretty grand estate home.

“This is the home of billionaire Kristoff Amelin. We received a tip that he is pretty high up in the sex trade business in New York and we’ve been watching him and investigating him for 2 years. We believe he is in the possession of a list of names, including buyers, sellers and merchandise, the women, and all monies exchanged. If we can get this list, we can bring this whole thing down.”

“And what, you think he keeps it lying around on his desk?” Jughead asked. 

“Oh no, we’re well aware that he’s not that stupid. No, this list is on a drive that he keeps in a high tech safe in his basement, behind 3 other safes.” Kevin lay down a few more pics and they were blue prints of the estate including tunnels and guard and camera positions. It even had laser security marked and pictures of each safe from what appeared to be good old eye glass camera shot.

“How the hell do you know that?” Archie asked, already getting excited at the thought of having to get through three safe doors. His specialty was locks and safes and he never met one he couldn’t crack.

“Like I said, we’ve been investigating him and had someone so close, they could almost grab the fucking thing, but of course, you can’t grab a drive right in front of a bunch of people who would have no qualms about putting a bullet in your head. So, we need you guys to steal it,” Moose informed them.

“How’s the security on this place?” Jughead asked, picking up the papers and studying the layout.

“Like Fort Knox,” Keller said. “You aren’t getting in there undetected. Unless, you’re already in.”

“And how do you propose we get in?” Toni piped up. Moose lay down a card that looked very much like an invitation. She picked it up and read it out loud.

“An evening for the children?” she read. “You’re kidding, right? This is a man who’s deep into sex trafficking and he’s holding a fundraiser for children? I think I’m going to puke,” she gasped. 

“You expect me to go to this bullshit and not kill anybody?” Jughead asked angrily.

“Well, while I’m sure some of his associates are into this as well, most everybody there is the who’s who of the rich and powerful of New York, showing off their money.”

“So, the worst of the worst?” Pea said with a laugh.

“Well, I’m willing to place bets that you’re pretty rich,” Keller said nonchalantly. “Although I suppose in your defence, you keep that a secret.”

“Well, rich or not, we’re not part of the high society of New York.”

“Don’t worry about that, we’ll get you guys in. The party is in six weeks, so you guys study this, figure out how you’re going to do this. Do whatever you need to find out more information. Study these plans, plan your heist and you just make sure you get that drive,” Kevin said firmly.

“If we manage to do this and we get the list and we find out where these women are, is there going to be anything done for them?” Cheryl asked.

“You mean like a rescue?” Kevin asked and she nodded. “Yes, there will be so let’s pray they are all alive.”

“Do you know where Chic Cooper is?” Jughead asked.

“No, we don’t. The last time we had him in sight was 2 months ago.”

“You’re telling me that you’ve managed to find out everything about me and my men and you can’t find this asshole?”

“I guess he’s better at hiding than you are,” Moose offered.

“We’ve had eyes on you guys for years. Files were opened when your father was running guns and over the years we’ve gotten good at keeping tabs. The last two, more so than usual,” Kevin explained as he loosened his tie a little and rested his hands on his hips. 

Jughead pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a frustrated sigh. Of course it was his father’s shit that alerted the feds and they had never gone away.

“So, we’ll be in touch?” Kevin asked. Jughead looked around the room at all the Serpents and they nodded their agreement. 

“You know where to find us,” Jughead said with a nod. Kevin held out his hand and Jughead shook it.

“Help me and I’ll help you,” the agent said and then he turned and left with his partner. Everybody in the room kind of just stood or sat there, unsure of what to think. They were now in bed with the feds and it was a little unnerving.

“Arch?”

“Yeah, boss?”

“Bring Reggie up here.” 

10 minutes later, Reggie Mantle was brought in and shoved into a chair. He scowled at them all and then smirked.

“Looks like the gang’s all here,” he scoffed.

“A gang you could be part of if you hadn’t been such a traitor,” Sweet Pea said with a glare.

“You doing alright?” Jughead asked.

“I’ve been locked in a basement for two fucking days, what do you think?”

“You get any food or water?” Jughead asked.

“Yeah,” Reggie admitted grudgingly. 

“So, stop complaining. At least we didn’t let you starve. You know, kind of like what Chic Cooper did with his sister.” Reggie’s eyes widened and then looked properly horrified.

“Hey man, I didn’t know anything about that. I just knew where he kept her.”

“Well, here’s what you’re going to do for us Reggie. We’re going to let you go and you’re going to go back to the way things were and you’re going to bring us information,” Jughead told him as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He offered one to Reggie who grabbed it gratefully and lit it for him.

“I can’t man. If they would catch me, I’d be a dead man!”

“Well, then I guess you better be careful then, huh?” Jughead said with a shrug. “We have eyes on you Mantle, from now on. There isn’t anywhere you can go where we won’t know, so don’t even think about running. Archie is going to take you back where he got you from and he’s going to tell you where to meet him every three days to give any information you may have figured out.” Jughead leaned close and made sure Reggie saw he was serious. “And don’t even think about showing up and claiming to have no information. You work for sex traffickers, anything going on is information. Even the shit they eat for dinner. You understand?” Reggie nodded quickly. “If I feel like you’re fucking with us, I hand you over to the feds, and believe me, they won’t be as nice as me.”

“Okay, okay,” Reggie said quickly. He took a drag of his smoke, his hand shaking. “Is…is Jellybean okay?” he asked quietly.

“She’s in a coma Reggie, and it doesn’t look good, so you better pray she doesn’t die,” Jughead growled.

“I’m sorry, Jug,” the man muttered, letting out a heavy sigh. Jughead just shook his head and turned to Archie.

“You had a hood over his head when you brought him here?”

“Yes.”

“Good, put it back on him and get him to where he belongs and make arrangements for the meet up.” He looked back at Reggie. “Don’t fuck this up,” he warned. Archie pulled him up and led him from the room and Jughead sank into a chair, running his hands through his hair. He looked up and saw Pea sitting at the other end, his head leaning back on the chair, staring at the ceiling.

“What do you need me to do, Jug?” he asked, his voice sounding weary and tired.

“Well, we have six weeks to plan this, so you do what you do best. Find the guest list and do checks on everyone invited. This Kristoff person, find out everything you can about him and I mean everything. I want to know when this asshole goes to the bathroom. Get me more blueprints of his place and I want to know what kinds of safes those are; Archie is going to need to know what he’s up against. Also, see if you can find an itinerary for the evening. They’ll probably have a program and I want to know everything from beginning to end.”

“Okay, I’ll get on it right away,” Pea acknowledged. “You going to see Jellybean today?”

“Yeah, I was going to head over in a bit. You want to join me?” 

“No, I’ll go on my own,” his friend said, pulling himself out of the chair. Jughead said nothing and handed him the file the agents had left as he left the room. 

He headed up to his apartment to check in on Betty and found her still sleeping. Her food was still unfinished and he mentally kicked himself for turning on the news while they had been eating. Everything would be a shock to her system now and he decided he better proceed slowly and with caution from now on. She clearly needed sleep and he again wondered how long it had been since she had slept an entire night, peacefully and without a nightmare or fear. He took the plate and brought it to the kitchen, the salad already wilted. He fixed a sandwich and veggies with some dip and left the plate next to her bed for her to find when she woke. With one last glance at her sleeping face, he left the room.

 

 

Jellybean was the same. 

Her face was looking more like her and some bandages had been removed, but other than that, nothing had changed. The doctor told him that she was getting stronger, that her vitals were improving and a whole bunch of other doctor lingo he didn’t understand. All he really needed to hear was that she was still alive and seemed to be getting stronger, but she was still in a coma and he held her hand and prayed she would wake up soon.

“You know,” he said softly, brushing the hair off her face. “When you wake up, we’re going to have an entire new life. The people that did this to you will pay and we’re going to move somewhere real nice. Maybe a beach somewhere? I know you…I know you always….” Jughead choked up and took a deep breath to try and get his bearings but he couldn’t stop the tears that squeezed their way out of his eyes. 

“You always loved the beach,” he whispered, wiping at his face. “We can go to any beach you want, Jelly, just please come back to me.” He let out a sigh and pulled himself together, squeezing her hand.

“Come back for Sweet Pea too,” he added. “He really loves you, you know. He won’t admit it but I can tell. I don’t know much about love, but I can tell that he loves you.”

“Hey Jug,” a soft voice interrupted. Jughead quickly wiped his face again before he stood and faced Midge.

“Hey doc,” he said softly. 

“I was going to come by today and talk with Betty some more and bring her some things,” she said with a soft smile. “How’s she doing?”

“Good, I guess. She sleeps a lot.”

“That’s good. Her body needs to rest. She eating?”

“Yes, every time she wakes up.”

“Can I ask who she is and why she’s with you?” Midge asked curiously.

“Not yet,” Jughead replied. She nodded, knowing the Serpents had their secrets and weren’t going to share them until they were good and ready.

“Listen, how about I just come by first thing in the morning instead of making the trip today. I’ll swing by on my way to work?” she suggested.

“Sure, that sounds good,” Jughead shrugged. Midge walked over and gave his arm a squeeze. 

“She’s hanging in there Jughead, there is hope,” she spoke gently, smoothing her free hand across Jellybean’s forehead. “There is hope.”

“Hope is good,” Jughead replied, even though he didn’t feel much of it. Midge quietly left and he sat with his sister for a good hour, talking to her about the things he knew made her happy. Music, the beach, puppies, promising to buy her one if she wakes up, he even threw in some stories about Sweet Pea. It couldn’t hurt.

 

By the time he left the hospital, he felt emotionally drained. He felt like he didn’t know where his head was anymore. His sister was near death, he had the sister of the man who did it, they just went to bed with the feds, and when it was all over they would probably be leaving the country. How had this all happened in a matter of a week? He felt nauseated at the thought of it all. He felt tired. He was 26 years old and he felt like an old man.

When he got back to the Serpent building, it was after 7:00 and he found Cheryl in the lobby waiting for a pizza. 

“Hey, you saw JB?” she asked. “She doing alright?”

“The same,” Jughead sighed. “You checked on Betty this afternoon?”

“Yes, she was watching a movie and I think I even saw her smile. It’s a start, I figure. I think she’s doing alright. I told her I was going to get her more clothes tomorrow so she doesn’t have to sit around in sweats all the time but I guess until she puts some weight on, that’s maybe all we can do. She didn’t seem to mind.”

“Thanks for all your help, Cheryl,” he said gratefully.

“It’s no problem, Jug. We’re family, it’s what we do.” He smiled and headed up to his place.

He walked into the apartment and found Betty standing by the windows, her arms around her middle, her head leaning on the glass.

“Hey,” he said softly and she turned and gazed at him, her green eyes wide and curious. “You hungry?” he asked immediately. She nodded and he opened the fridge and looked at everything for a while. “You have a preference?” he asked, looking at her. “I could make some pizza. Cheryl just ordered herself some but since you’re supposed to have healthy food, I figured homemade would be slightly healthier?”

“That…that sounds really good,” she said softly. “I haven’t had pizza for a long time time.” She walked over to the couch and sat down, curling her feet under her. “I’m sorry I’m always in what I’m assuming is your apartment, it’s just…it’s bigger in here,” she said, her voice trailing off to a whisper.

“It’s alright,” Jughead said, offering her a smile. “As long as you’re comfortable. I meant what I said, Betty, you’re safe here, nobody will harm you.” He pulled out some pizza dough he had in the freezer and opened the package to let it thaw a bit before piling stuff on it. He could feel her watching him and he found himself feeling slightly self-conscious, which was a feeling he hadn’t felt in a long time. 

“Mind if I ask how often you got to eat while you were held by your brother?”

“They brought me something usually every other day,” she answered, looking down at her hands. “It was mostly just stale fast food.”

“Christ,” Jughead snapped. She looked up quickly, at the anger she heard in his voice. 

“Why do you care?” she asked in a small voice, not in an annoyed way but more in curiosity.

“Betty, any decent human being would fucking care that your brother was starving you and beating on you. What kind of low life bastard does that to his own flesh and blood? Or to anybody for that matter?” She didn’t say anything, just observing him.

“You’re a good man,” she stated.

“Are you basing that on the fact that I told you that you were safe here?” he asked curiously.

“I can tell,” Betty said softly. “I don’t…”

“You don’t….what?”

“I don’t feel afraid around you,” she answered. “I mean…im a little afraid because I don’t really know anybody and I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I mostly just feel overwhelmed by…by you….” She was red in the face when she finished and Jughead stared at her in surprise. “I should be afraid of you, shouldn’t I?” she asked. “I have no reason to trust you.”

“Well, I mean….I feed you,” he offered. 

She smiled.

Jughead felt his own smile play at his lips and he turned his attention back to the pizza. They didn’t speak again until he had a plate full and was handing it to her.

“Thank you,” Betty said eagerly, grabbing it from him. He smiled as she dug in, clearly enjoying it. He turned on the TV and was flipping through channels when she suddenly sat up and he paused his surfing. “Can we watch that?” she asked shyly. “I haven’t seen it in years.” It was an episode of Friends. Not exactly his favorite, but he figured something funny and lighthearted would do her some good. She finished her plate of pizza and on the third episode of the marathon; she fell asleep, curled up in the corner of the couch. He cleaned up their plates and picked her up and carried her to her room. He wondered how long it would take for her to regain some weight because she was light as a feather and he could feel far too much bone.

Jughead got her tucked in and headed to his shower to wash the day off. He stood under the hot water until it started getting cold before he felt a little relief from all the tension in his muscles. After he was finished, he pulled on a tank top and pajama pants and walked out to the kitchen to grab some water. He wandered over to the windows and looked out over the city, watching the lights dance back and forth. He went to the end window that he could open and lit a cigarette, leaning back against the brick wall and taking a long drag. After a while, his eyes moved over to the door to Betty’s room. He had no idea what this need was to protect her but he felt it deep in his bones. He was going to watch over Betty Cooper until there was nothing and nobody left that could harm her. 

 

 

Once again, in the middle of the night, the nightmares came and Jughead heard the cries of distress from Betty. He rushed to her room and she was tossing and turning, fighting off some imaginary horror. He sat on the edge of her bed and again caught her arm as she took a swing, his hand moving to touch her face and to his surprise, she immediately stilled, pressing her cheek to his touch. He let his thumb caress her cheek and he let go of her arm as she let out a small shudder and drew in a shaking breath. After a few minutes, when she was once again peacefully sleeping, he slowly drew his hand away.

He was about to get up when she let out a whimper and reached out, her hand grabbing his in a tight grip. She rolled away from him, taking his hand with and holding it to her chest. Jughead pulled gently and her grip only tightened and after a moment he let out a sigh and carefully lay down next to her. He went still when she immediately pressed back against him, as if seeking warm and comfort. He carefully wrapped his arm around her waist and held her gently. Maybe this was why she felt confused.

Deep in sleep, she trusted him completely.


	5. Time to Live

_Look in the shadows because you are not alone._

Betty woke feeling more rested than she had in months. It seemed, for the first time since Polly left, she had slept without nightmares. Without the monsters coming in the night to steal her rest and comfort. She rolled over and snuggled into the blankets and the pillows and caught the slight scent of musk and cigarettes, such a fleeting scent she thought she might have imagined it. It’s how Jughead had smelled when he’d lifted her onto the counter the day before and she guessed since this was his place, his scent would linger on things.

It was pleasant and warm, so unlike the harsh sickly sweet scent of Chic’s aftershave, and she inhaled deeply, hoping to catch it once more. She thought about him, this kind, new man in her life. He looked dangerous, his scowl probably scared children and he didn’t even bat an eye at his declaration that he was going to kill her brother. 

_Because he loved his sister_. 

He loved his sister so much that he was going to take a man’s life for hurting her. She felt tears sting her eyes. She wondered what it felt like to be loved that much.

Betty wiped at her face and let out a long breath. It didn’t matter if she was loved. She was safe and that’s all that mattered. Jughead had promised to keep her safe and he had promised to never give her back. She had no idea what was going to happen once Chic had been dealt with, but Jughead had said she would free. She didn’t know what that meant exactly or how she would go on with her life, but at least, by the sounds of it, it would be on her terms.

She looked at the time and saw it was nearing 9:30 and she slowly got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. On the counter she found a long gypsy skirt and a pretty blouse and a note from Cheryl.

_Figured these would fit because the skirt has a draw string to tighten it and the shirt is a bit small on me, so it will be okay on you. Hope you slept well._

Betty touched the clothes, the skirt a dark red and the shirt black with gold buttons. She thought it odd that while she slept there were people in and out of her room, leaving her things and looking in on her. She hadn’t felt _taken care of_ in so long, it was almost dizzying. These people didn’t know her and yet they cared that she was comfortable, that she ate, that she slept and got rest. Her brother had done one of the worst things imaginable to someone they loved, and just by relation alone, they should have despised her but they were taking care of her as if she was one of their own.

Betty sat down on the chair next to the giant tub and lowered her face in her hands. It was overwhelming and she couldn’t help the tears that spilled over. She doesn’t know how long she sat there and cried when Jughead’s soft voice, filled with concern broke through her fog.

“Betty?” he called gently. “Are you alright?” She quickly wiped at her eyes and took a shuddering breath.

“Yeah…yes…” she hiccupped. 

“Are you decent?” 

“Yes.” 

He appeared in the doorway and took in her appearance, still wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. 

“Are you hurt?” he asked.

“No,” Betty said quietly. “I was just….i’m okay,” she insisted.

“Okay,” he said softly and disappeared again. She sat for a while, trying to pull herself together when suddenly Cheryl appeared in the doorway.

“Hey Betty,” she said gently and Betty looked at her in surprise, wiping her face. “Jughead thought you might need some help.”

“He called you?” 

“Well, shot me a text, I live across the hall,” the red head explained, coming in the room and sitting on the edge of the tub. “He said you were crying and figured you’d be more comfortable with me here.”

“I’m okay,” Betty said shakily. “Just felt a little overwhelmed for a moment.”

“What about?” Cheryl asked. Betty was quiet a while, unsure of how to explain what she was feeling.

“Just all of this,” she admitted. “My brother hurt someone you guys really love and yet you’re taking care of me as if I was one of you guys. You guys should hate me and yet…”

“Why would we hate you?” Cheryl asked. “He was holding your prisoner and starving you and he’s clearly been violent with you. Obviously we were going to take care of you. You’re nothing like your brother and we would never hold you responsible for what’s he’s done. He may well have done what he did to JB to you at some point.” Betty only nodded and felt tears sting her eyes again. Cheryl moved and knelt in front of her and took her hands, smiling at her. “You haven’t had anybody take care of you for long time, have you?” she asked gently. 

“I can take care of myself,” Betty insisted. “But that fact that you guys are in fact, taking care of me, is throwing me for a loop and I don’t know what to make of it.”

“Sometimes, people are just good people,” Cheryl said with a smile. “We are good people and you can trust us, I promise.”

“Jughead promised he wouldn’t give me back,” Betty said quietly. 

“Jughead is a man of his word and I have never known him to break a promise. Not ever,” Cheryl said firmly. “If he promised to keep you safe and to not give you back, that’s exactly what he’s going to do.”

“You’ve known him your whole life?”

“I’m known him since I was 16. He made me a similar promise that he made to you,” Cheryl said with a smile. “Maybe I can tell you about it some time?”

“Okay,” Betty said, feeling her anxiety ease a little. “Thank you,” she added.

“You’re welcome,” Cheryl said quietly as she stood. “If you need me for anything, let Jughead know.”

 

 

Jughead was standing by the open window having a smoke when Cheryl came out of Betty’s room.

“She alright?” he asked.

“She’s just unsure and overwhelmed and doesn’t know what to make of us caring about her even though her brother did what he did and we don’t really know her. I guess she figures most everybody would treat her badly.” 

Jughead wondered briefly what she would think if she knew he had been in bed with her for a couple of hours during the night. That’s how long it had taken her to loosen her grip on his hand. In sleep she had clung to it like it was her lifeline and he had been unable to make himself pull away.

“Midge is going to come by later,” he said, finishing his smoke and walking to the kitchen. “She was going to come this morning but there was an emergency at the hospital so she’ll come after work.” He started pulling things out of the fridge, deciding an omelette with sausage, veggies and cheese was a good healthy breakfast. 

“I was thinking later today I should maybe show Betty around? I’m figure she probably needs to know the layout of the place before she starts wandering around on her own,” Cheryl said as she grabbed a piece of cheese.

“Yeah, that’s a good idea.”

“And if she has questions? About what we do? What do I tell her?” Jughead shrugged as he cut up some veggies.

“Tell her the truth.”

“Are you serious?” Cheryl laughed. “You don’t want to tell her what her brother does but you want her to know what we do?”

“If she asks, tell her the truth. She’s been lied to enough.”

“Jughead, you’re the one who insisted we not tell her….”

“That’s not lying…”

“It’s lying by omission!” Cheryl insisted.

“I just don’t think she’s in the best place yet to hear that sort of horrifying shit,” Jughead snapped. 

“Oh, so you want to wait until she’s in a calm and happy place, feeling secure and safe before you basically ruin her life all over again.”

“Let it go,” Jughead sigh.

“Jughead…”

“I said, let it go!” he barked. 

“You’re making a mistake,” she sighed, then turned and left the apartment. Jughead put his knife down and gripped the edge of the counter, letting his head hang in frustration.

“Fuck,” he muttered.

 

A while later, as he was finishing up the omelette, Betty came through the door. She was dressed in the skirt and blouse that Cheryl had left her and her still wet hair pulled on top of her head in a bun. He paused for a moment and looked at her; her outfit giving the illusion that she wasn’t bone thin underneath, and even though the lines and angles of her face were still sharp enough to show the lack of food, the fact that she was a woman of 21 and not a teenage girl was undoubtedly clear.

She seemed taller for some reason and he realized it was the way she held herself. No longer shrinking into herself, but her chin raised, showing a long graceful neck; her shoulders back and straight. The elegant length of her arms, though still very thin, ending with hands gently folded in front of her. The posture of a woman in control. She went still and he saw her folded hands suddenly grip tighter, and he realized he was staring.

“Good….good morning,” he said quickly, inwardly rolling his eyes at himself at his stutter. “You look….rested.”

“Good morning,” she answered softly, walking slowly over to the island and settling in a stool. “I feel rested. I think this is the first night I’ve had in months where I wasn’t tossing and turning from nightmares.” Jughead said nothing as he plated her food and set it in front of her. He wasn’t about to tell her that he helped her with said nightmares at night. 

Betty dug into her food with gusto and he smiled slightly at her enthusiasm. Now that she was eating, she seemed constantly hungry and he was happy to feed her. He noticed that there was color in face now as well and didn’t have the ashen gray sick look, but seemed brighter and a faint blush covered her cheeks. He paused curiously as he put the pan in the sink and turned to her.

“When’s the last time you were outside?” he asked. Betty stopped in surprise and looked at him.

“I don’t know,” she said as she swallowed. “The last time I got moved, I guess.”

“When was that?” Betty thought for a while before she answered.

“I saw Halloween decorations,” she said quietly.

“Jesus Christ,” Jughead said furiously and her fork stopped moving half way to her mouth as she blinked at him. “It’s June right now.”

“Oh,” she breathed.

“I’m going to fucking kill him,” he fumed.

“Because I haven’t been outside in months?” she asked in confusion.

“No, because he’s a waste of fucking space and doesn’t deserve to breathe,” Jughead snapped. Betty lowered her eyes, saying nothing and finished her food. When she pushed her plate back, Jughead put it in the sink and walked to the door.

“Come with me,” he ordered and she was so startled by his demand that she scrambled off the chair and hurried over. He opened the door and stepped out of the apartment and she followed him and stopped in surprise. By the beauty and luxury of the apartment she just left, he guessed she had figured they were in a luxury building and she stared in surprise at all the concrete. The walls, the ceiling, even the floor. She looked back into the apartment and then back down the wide hall and shook her head in confusion. She looked back at Jughead and he quirked his lips in amusement.

“Where are we?” Betty asked in surprise. 

“This is a warehouse building. Was also a shoe factory once upon a time. It was slated for demolition because it had been empty for years and nobody wanted it, so we acquired it and spent a year turning it into apartments and whatever else we wanted.”

“We?”

“The Serpents.” He started walking down the long concrete expansive hallway and she walked quickly after him, noting there were two other apartments. They got to an elevator and when he saw it at the bottom, he headed to the stairs. “You mind going up a couple of flights?” She shook her head but by the time they got to the next floor she was completely winded, realizing that she was still pretty weak and she sat down on the top step and rested her forehead on her knees to ward off the feeling of dizziness.

“I need a minute,” she breathed.

“Shit, I’m sorry, Betty,” Jughead said softly, sitting down next to her. “We should have waited for the elevator. 

“It’s okay,” Betty said, feeling the dizziness pass. “We can go now.”

“Well, we’re on the top floor and the elevator stops here, so we have to go up a few more stairs,” he informed her as she got up. He put his hand on her back as they stepped into the hallway, which looked the same as the one he lived on but this one only had two apartments from what she could see. He walked to the end of the hall to the big window and she looked out at the view of the city.

“How many floors does this building have?” she asked curiously.

“Twenty-Five.”

“And how many people live here?” 

“Seventy-three,” he answered as he moved to a door marked _utilities_. He opened it and it was indeed a utility room with metal stairs going up to a landing. They climbed it slowly and at the top, Jughead pushed the door open and she gasped and quickly walked through. 

They were on the roof. Betty walked forward slowly, then stopped and closed her eyes, lifting her face to the sun. Jughead saw her chin trembling and felt an odd ache in his chest. She literally was a prisoner set free. The breeze blew the loose tendrils of her hair around and he fought a sudden urge to tuck them behind her ear.

Betty opened her eyes and looked around the roof space. They had turned it into a relaxing oasis above the concrete jungle. There was safety railing all around and faux grass outdoor carpet over most of it. One corner was filled with raised containers that had flowers, herbs and other vegetation growing and scattered around the rest of the space were seating areas with deck fire pits. Beside her, Jughead pulled out a pack of smokes and lit one as she looked around.

“This is really lovely,” she said softly. She walked over to the railing and saw the view she had from her room and Jughead’s apartment and the city around the other sides of the building. It was stunning. She turned to look at him as he leaned his forearms on the railing, taking a long drag of his cigarette. “You have a lot of money, don’t you,” she questioned curiously. “I may have been out of the loop for a while, but even I know that a building like this, right on the edge of central park must have cost a bloody fortune, even if it was slated for demo because somebody would have snatched this up and put up a high rise of some sort.” He just smiled and said nothing and she wondered at it.

“I’m sorry that you weren’t able to go outside,” he said after a few moments of silence. “I can’t imagine what it must have been like locked away like that.”

“Lonely,” she said in a whisper, her hands gripping the railing so she wouldn’t dig her nails into her hands. Even the mention of being locked up, the memory of it, caused the anxiety to rush through her. “Did you mean what you said? That I can go anywhere on the property?”

“Yes, I did.”

“So, I can come up here whenever I want? Do I need to ask when I want to?”

“Betty you’re not a prisoner, you can come up here, you can go anywhere in the building you want. Well, the public area places I guess.”

“But I can’t leave the property?”

“No, you can’t. It’s not safe, Betty and I won’t risk you getting hurt,” Jughead explained.

“What if I didn’t care about the risk and wanted to leave,” Betty asked curiously. “You said I’m not a prisoner, so what if I’d like to leave and go try and live my life.” He looked at her in surprise and then turned and looked back out over the city.

“I’m sorry, I can’t let you do that,” he said quietly.

“Right, because you _are_ still using me to get to my brother,” she said, her voice sounding hoarse. “But no, I’m not a prisoner.”

“Betty,” Jughead said, his voice faltering a little, his hand reaching over to touch her arm. She pulled away and gave him a shaky smile.

“He doesn’t even know where I am and my brother is still keeping me prisoner,” she whispered. Betty turned away and walked back to the doorway that led her off the roof top terrace and into the building. She had watched and knew where to go and didn’t bother waiting for the elevator and headed back down to Jughead’s floor. She got to his door and found it locked and she sighed in frustration, looking at the pad for the number lock and had no idea what the combination was. “Dammit,” she muttered in frustration, realizing that she had no choice now but to wait for Jughead to catch up to her. He did only moments later.

“I’ll write the number down for you,” he said softly, punching it in the keypad and the door unlocked with a click. Betty opened it and walked into the apartment and went straight to her room. She sat on the edge of the bed and smoothed her hands over her skirt. Jughead appeared in the door way and leaned against the frame, his hands in his pockets as he watched her.

“If you want to leave, you can go. The FBI could probably help you and set you up somewhere. I’ll catch your brother some other way,” he said softly and then he pulled away and disappeared. Betty stared at the empty doorway in surprise. Now _that_ she hadn’t been expecting. Nor had she necessarily wanted it. She let out a frustrated sigh and stood up, walking back into his apartment. He was standing by the open window, having another smoke. She walked over slowly and stood beside him, staring out over the park.

“I don’t want to leave,” she said quietly. “I just wanted it to be my choice. I haven’t had a choice about my life in years.” He looked at her and she turned to meet his gaze. His blue eyes were serious but she saw the gentleness in him. As fierce as he seemed, she knew this wasn’t a man who would hurt her. “I want to stay, Jughead. I want to help you get Chic. Not only that,” she sighed. “I have no idea how to be on my own and if I walked away from here, I don’t know where I would go and for the first time in a really long time, I feel like people care about me and I’m taken care of and I…its nice,” she finished shakily.

“Okay,” he said softly. Betty smiled slightly and looked out the window. 

“So, I’m going to stay…because I want to…” 

“Right,” he nodded. She snuck a peek at him and saw a smile playing on his lips. Betty walked over to the couch and curled up on it, pulling the soft blanket he had thrown over the back over herself and was asleep minutes later. Jughead looked at her in surprise. In only a few days she had made herself at home in his apartment, seeming to feel more relaxed in here than in her own room. She had told him that it was bigger in here and he understood with her having been locked away in a room for so long, a larger space felt less confining. His phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out and read the text from Sweet Pea that he was needed and he headed downstairs.

 

 

Betty was roused from sleep with someone gently rubbing her arm. She blinked as she opened her eyes and sat Midge sitting on the coffee table, smiling at her.

“Dr. Klump,” she said quickly as she sat up.

“Please, call me Midge,” the woman laughed, her easy smile relaxing Betty. She looked around and saw Jughead sitting at the table, doing something on a laptop. “Let’s go into your room, shall we?” the doctor suggested. Betty got up and followed her, glancing at Jughead and he met her eyes for a second and then went back to what he was doing. 

“I guess you have all my test results?” Betty spoke as she sat on the couch in front of her TV. Midge sat down beside her and smiled.

“Well, you’ll be happy to know, that despite your condition, there isn’t anything seriously wrong with you. You _are_ suffering from a serious lack in nutrients and you’re severely underweight but your tests did show that despite the hormonal imbalance, which due to you not taking medication for that has gotten a little worse, but you haven’t developed any other illness or conditions. So, with a good healthy diet and a good supplement regiment, we should have you back in excellent shape in no time at all.”

“Well, that’s good,” Betty said with a smile. She stared in surprise when Midge started taking bottles out of her bag and setting them on the table. “What’s all that?”

“Supplements,” Midge said with a smile. “A good diet is one thing, but your body is starved for vitamins and minerals and the diet won’t replenish them fast enough. We have everything you’ll need right here and I want you to take this bunch before bed and this bunch when you wake up,” she ordered, separating the bottles. Betty picked up some of them.

“Omegas, probiotics; there’s a lot of stuff here,” she sighed.

“I promise, it’s not as scary as it looks and when you’re in good health, we can whittle it down some, but we just need to get your body on the right track,” Midge explained.

“I understand.”

“Now,” the doctor said, reaching into her bag again and pulling out a package. “This is the birth control to help you in the hormonal areas. It’s the best one we have, so it should start setting things in order quickly….” She trailed off as she reached into her bag again, pulling out a prescription bottle. “This is for your anxiety and panic attacks.” Betty took the bottle and read the label.

“Diazepam?”

“Another name for Valium,” Midge explained. “I don’t know how bad your anxiety gets, or what triggers it or what triggers you to self-harm, but if you feel like it’s going to be a bad day, please take these. I also have books and pamphlets you can read on different things you can do if you don’t feel you need the meds.” Betty nodded and set the bottle down. “I will be checking in on your from time to time, and if I feel you need to take them every day, I’ll let you know.”

“Okay,” Betty said softly. “Thank you, Midge.” She looked at all the bottles and let out a sigh. “I can’t pay for all this.”

“Don’t worry, it’ll go on the Serpent account,” she said, an amused smile on her face.

“The Serpent account? Is that really a thing?”

“It is here,” she laughed. “Anybody here needs help, I help and provide and Jughead hands me the cash.”

“But how…how do you get all this stuff? Wouldn’t you need a patient on record?”

“We do,” she said with a wink and offered no other information. Betty was beginning to seriously wonder just who these people were and how the hell they operated. “You look good, by the way,” Midge added. “Rested and color returning to your skin.” 

“They’re taking good care of me,” Betty confirmed.

“I never for a second thought they wouldn’t,” the doctor said as she nodded. After a few more instructions with the supplements, she gathered her things and headed back into Jughead’s apartment. Betty followed and Jughead got up from the table and handed Midge an envelope which she figured was the doctor’s payment.

“Thanks, Doc,” he said with an affectionate smile. “I’ll be by a little later to see JB.”

“Sure thing, Jug. I’ll see you later.” She gave him a quick hug and left the apartment. He looked at Betty and headed to the kitchen.

“You hungry?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Betty confirmed and walked over to the island and sat on the stool. “You know, if there is anything you need me to do, maybe odd jobs around here, I can pay for all the things she left me, earn my keep.” Jughead turned, holding a loaf of bread, an amused look on his face.

“It’s fine Betty,” he said. “You’re barely strong enough to stand, I’m not making you work.” 

“I’m not weak,” she immediately snapped, clenching her fists and glaring. Jughead’s eyes widened a little in surprise at her quick defense.

“I didn’t…..that’s not what I meant,” he said hurriedly. “I didn’t mean to insult you but your body is weak, you could barely make it to the roof before and then slept for 2 hours,” he explained. “When you’re stronger and have put on some weight, if you want something to do, we’ll find you something.”

“I will get strong,” Betty said with a determination that surprised even her. She was never going to let anyone get the upper hand on her again.

“I have no doubt that you will,” Jughead said with a gentle smile. Betty felt a little foolish at her outburst but she couldn’t help herself. Chic had always told her she was useless and weak and worth nothing and she had always lashed out and it had gotten her bruises. After a time she had quit defending herself with words and just glared and used her body stance to defy him and it had amused him. Now, knowing she was safe, that Jughead wouldn’t hurt her, she felt her defiance return. “Betty?” Her eyes flew to his and saw he was looking at her clenched hands. She quickly uncurled her fingers and placed them in her lap.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured. Jughead put down the bread and sighed. 

“You don’t need to apologize,” he insisted. “I honestly didn’t mean to upset you and I’m not saying you’re weak in a sense that I don’t think you can do anything. I just want you to regain some strength in your body before you start tiring yourself out on purpose.”

“Okay,” she nodded. Jughead started making a sandwich, glancing at her from time to time as if trying to figure something out. “What?” she asked, almost wincing at the defensive tone. This man was keeping her safe and she didn’t understand her need to prove he couldn’t control her when he very easily could if he wanted to, even more so than Chic. He stopped what he was doing and braced his hands on the edge of the countertop.

“Betty, I’m nothing like Chic,” he said softly, as if he had just read her mind. “I won’t ever make you feel like you’re less than you are. I know you’ve only known me for a few days and I know you have zero reason to trust me but I really need you to know that. I don’t think you’re weak, in fact, I think quite the opposite. I can see the strength and resilience in you. The night we got you, you were terrified and you still fought. Since you’ve been here, you’re careful and wary but you’re not afraid to say what you think, even if your voice quivers when you do it. When I told you why we took you, how we need you to get to your brother, you weren’t afraid to let me know what you thought. You weren’t afraid earlier to voice your displeasure over not having a choice, you weren’t afraid to walk away from me after doing so because deep down, you know, I won’t ever hurt you and you’re using that knowledge to get your voice back. Your brother put you through something awful and I can’t imagine the pain and trauma that even the memories bring you, but he didn’t break your spirit, and even when it seems like he did, one only needs to look at the fire in your eyes to know your spirit is ready to fight if need be.”

Betty felt like her chest was in a vice. She knew he wouldn’t hurt her, she knew all this but his words still made her wonder at him. 

“I just…you confuse me,” she said nervously.

“Why?” 

“Because I don’t understand why you care about me,” she whispered, tears springing to her eyes. “It doesn’t make any sense. You don’t know me, and my brother…”

“Stop,” Jughead said, his frustration evident in his voice. “I don’t care if Chic is your brother, you are one of his victims and it’s time someone took care of you. It’s really that simple.”

“Jughead, nothing is that simple. Nobody is this good.”

“How many times are we going to have this discussion?” he asked as he resumed picking up the bread again and proceeded to make the sandwich.

“Probably until I figure out why you’re caring for a complete stranger and making sure she gets healthy.”

“When do you think that will be?” He was losing his patience and her fingers twitched, wanting to curl. Instead of giving in the fear that always lingered, wanting to make her feel insecure, she decided to push it aside and bait him. How else would she know if he really meant what he said?

“Never. Until this is finished and until I’m able to go and live my life, I will never stop questioning you on why you care.” His jaw clenched and she realized that this man wasn’t used to being questioned. He wasn’t used to someone not taking him at his word and trusting that he meant what he said. He wasn’t used to defiance. He was a leader, the man in charge and she was pushing his buttons with questions of distrust. 

“You and my sister will get along really great when she gets better and gets home. You can irritate me together,” he muttered as he sighed in defeat and grabbed the mayo. Betty stared at him in surprise and felt a warmth spread in her chest. A smile twitched on her lips and for the first time in so long, she felt laughter bubble up inside her. It was there but it couldn’t seem to find its way out, as if it had forgotten how, but her mouth twitched non the less.

“Do the Serpents know?” she asked softly. He lifted his eyes and looked at her.

“Do they know what?” he asked.

“That you’re a marshmallow.” Jughead froze and glared at her. She looked at him with all the innocence she could muster. Then he let out a frustrated sigh.

“Yeah, they know.” Betty wanted to laugh but once again, it seemed stuck in her chest.

“You know how to hide it, right?” she asked, suddenly serious. 

“Well, I stuck a knife into the leg of one of the idiots guarding you the night we took you. He had no idea I was a marshmallow,” he said, equally serious.

“Good,” Betty said, pleased with his answer. “The non-marshmallow side of you, when you find my brother, make sure that’s who he sees.”

“Oh Betty, you can count on it,” he assured her as he handed her the finished sandwich. Betty watched him for a moment and then let out a sigh.

“I feel like we went off topic somewhere.”

“Just the usual,” Jughead shrugged. “We had a conversation, I insisted and assured you that I’m not Chic and you will be alright and you forgot to believe me.”

“Are you single?” she blurted out. Jughead raised his eyebrows and gave his head a shake.

“How is that relevant?”

“You’re very bossy,” Betty informed him.

“Bossy? How was I bossy?” Jughead asked, looking completely flabbergasted by the conversation. “See, this….this confusing shit is why I’m single,” he muttered and then he headed down the hall and she heard a door slam. Betty smiled slightly as she bit into her sandwich. She hadn’t meant to push his buttons, but finding out that it was pretty easy to rile him up and that it was safe to do so helped push the doubt even further down. Jughead Jones was her protector and she felt a calm wash over her at that fact.

 

 

A few hours later, Betty sat on the couch, flipping through channels and trying to find something to watch that wasn’t utterly confusing, when Cheryl came into the apartment. She had no idea where Jughead had gone and guessed maybe to visit JB, like he told the doctor he was going to do, but it was nearing 8:30 at night and he was usually around at that time.

“Hi there,” the red head said with a smile. “You busy?”

“Ummm, no?” Betty said slowly, thinking it was a strange question.

“Well, Jughead thought it would be a good idea if I gave you a tour of the place so you can find your way around. You interested?”

“Yes, please,” Betty said, turning the TV off. “He told me I could go where I wanted, but I have no idea where to go. Although we were up on the roof earlier and that was amazing.”

“Yes, it is wonderful up there,” Cheryl smiled. “Jughead made sure there was a place we could go and hang that wasn’t inside and most everything outside the building at street level is concrete, not to mention noisy from cars, so the upper terrace is most of the Serpent’s favorite place to be.” They headed out of the apartment and into the elevator, which this time, was waiting for them. Cheryl hit the button for the third floor and they headed down.

“Floors 4 to 25 are all living quarters, so there isn’t really a need to go there unless someone has invited you over to their apartment. The top floor, where Jughead’s father and grandfather reside, you of course will have to go to, to reach the terrace, but other than that, the rest are the same as our floor. Nothing but concrete halls and apartment doors.”

“Jughead mentioned that 73 people live in the building. Everybody is a Serpent?” Betty asked when the elevator stopped on 3 and they got off.

“Well, yes, Serpent by initiation, marriage or birth, and also as we like to call them, Serpents in training, if you’re a girlfriend or boyfriend,” Cheryl said with a smile. They walked a bit and came to a room that was easily visible due to the glass walls. Betty stopped in surprise and stared at all the monitors and screens. 

“Wow,” she said as she scanned the room.

“This would be Sweet Pea’s hangout. That’s him there right now, probably trying to hunt down some information for Jughead. The other three you see are guys that he’s training to help him out when he needs it.” 

“Like, he does research?” 

“Something like that,” Cheryl laughed. “When Jughead needs information about something and the information isn’t readily available, Sweet Pea will find it.” 

“So, he’s a hacker?” Betty asked in surprise, watching the screens and the plethora of information flying across them. Cheryl just smiled and kept moving. “I’m allowed in there?” 

“Well, Pea generally doesn’t like being disturbed when he’s working, but it’s not off limits. I doubt you’d find it interesting.” They came to another door and Cheryl pushed it open and Betty wasn’t sure what she was looking at. The room was large and filled with safes, free standing doors with wires attached, a bunch of electronic things that she didn’t have a clue about. Various things that seemed disassembled.

“Is this a repair shop of some kind?” she asked in confusion.

“This would be where Archie practices the art of getting past security systems, getting into safes and locked doors and things like that.”

“Why would he need to do that?” Betty asked.

“Sometimes, when you want something not easily accessible, you have to learn how to get to it.” Betty was utterly confused. Cheryl may be talking in riddles, but Betty could very easily interpret it to mean, Archie learning how to break into things. Now, why would he need to do that?

They left the room and headed back to the elevator, passing a door that Cheryl didn’t stop at. 

“What’s in there?” 

“The vault,” the red head said casually.

“You have a vault?” 

“Yes,” Cheryl replied. “We need a place to keep our….pricey finds?” 

Betty said nothing as they headed down to the second floor and when they stepped off the elevator, she was surprised that this floor was more like an actual apartment building and not like the concrete hallways above them. There was carpet and painted walls and seating areas as they walked around. Most of the rooms and areas, if enclosed, had large glass windows so you could see into them from the hallway. The first one they walked past had a long table with at least 30 chairs around it. 

“Our meeting room, planning room, the room we all gather when Jughead has something to say that we need to hear.” They kept walking and a lot of the smaller rooms were just gathering places where various people were sitting and talking. “You’ll meet everyone eventually,” Cheryl said smiling. “Introductions would take all night.” They came to another section and Betty gasped as she looked through the glass. It was a room full of couches and chairs and every available wall space was books shelves filled with books. “Our library, Jughead’s pride and joy. I think he’s read every book in here,” the red head laughed. She smiled at the excited look on Betty’s face. “I see it will be one of your favorite places.” Betty nodded happily and they kept moving. They turned a corner and were literally, quite suddenly, in a bar/lounge.

“Wow,” she said again, looking around.

“This is where we hang and unwind and have a drink or two. Where the parties happen, the celebrations, the general fun.” Betty looked around at the pool tables, the bar that seemed extra stocked, the sitting areas, the big screen tv’s, the juke box, the dance floor. It was a place you would normally visit on a Friday night. “That’s Toni behind the bar, you’ve met her. She’s also good at forging things and creating documents. The man talking to her is Fangs. He’s one of our drivers, our map expert, he’ll find a way out of places when there doesn’t seem to be one. He’s also an expert at making keys and duplicating locks and switches to practice things on. He’s also our expert in authenticity. He knows when a painting is an original, when a diamond is fake, when information is a lie. In a word, Fangs is kind of brilliant.”

They left the area and headed back to the elevator and Betty’s mind was whirling. She was trying to piece the information together and it seemed like nothing made sense and she was more confused than ever. 

When they stepped out on the first floor, it looked like the lobby of an office building. A reception desk with someone sitting that seemed to be security. Bright light coming in from the wall of windows and a large typical doorway heading outside. She could see the tall wall surrounding the building and the closed gate indicated that nobody was getting in here without permission. Cheryl turned left and they walked a ways to a door and when she opened it, it was obvious that it was a security room with many camera screens. Two people looked up and Betty took a step back at the angry stare from the older gentleman. He looked like he wanted to say something and a swift glare from Cheryl silenced him. They left the room again and Betty looked at her in confusion.

“That was our security room, obviously. Nobody gets in here without being seen. Tall Boy was the man looking like an asshole. He doesn’t do much except watch the comings and goings sometimes and drink at the bar. He likes to challenge Jughead’s leadership and I dare say, one day, it will leave him homeless. He’s been around since we were kids, the right hand man of Jughead’s father when he was running things. Neither of them like what Jughead has done with the Serpents and the direction he took them in and they are constantly at odds. I’m afraid one day everything will implode and Jughead will be forced to choose between his Serpent family and his blood family. His father may well lose if that happens.” 

They turned and walked back in the other direction pas the security desk and Cheryl grinned. 

“Now, this side of the first floor is my favorite and where I spend most of my time.” There were no windows indicating what it was and when she pushed open a heavy door, Betty let out a delighted gasp. A pool. An enormous, wonderful looking pool and several hot tubs. They walked in and circled the edge as Cheryl pointed out the sauna, the massage room, that apparently you could make an appointment at with one of the Serpent wives, the towel room, the change rooms and there was even a tanning room. They got to another door and Cheryl pushed it open and it revealed a massive gym. 

“Jesus, what isn’t in this building?” Betty asked in shock.

“Jughead wanted to make it a place where we could do whatever we wanted, without necessarily having to leave.”

“Why can’t you leave?”

“Oh we can leave, whenever we want and we do so frequently, but sometimes we need to lay low for a week or so and so he made sure nobody would go stir crazy.” 

Betty looked around at the many different workout machines and treadmills and stationary bikes of all kinds. There was a boxing ring in the middle and in one corner, to her surprise, she saw Jughead with a red headed man, appearing to beat the hell out of a boxing bag. 

“That’s Archie with him. Jughead’s best friend since they were kids. Closer than brothers and would literally take a bullet for each other, no questions asked. He’s our entry expert. There isn’t a lock or a safe that he can’t crack.”

Betty furrowed her brow as things started to click together. The hacker, the vault for pricey finds, the safe and door security room, the expert at getting past locked doors and cracking safes, drivers, forging things, creating documents, a map expert, finding ways of escape, knowing paintings and diamonds, all the security, laying low. She turned and looked at Cheryl.

“You guys are thieves,” she said in a shocked whisper. A smile played on the red head’s lips and she motioned to Jughead who had paused in his workout and was watching them.

“The man who’s promised to protect you? Known on the black market of fenced goods as The Shadow Thief. There isn’t anything he can’t steal, from right under your nose.” Betty felt something twist in her gut as she stared at Jughead, who held her gaze with ease.

“What did you say his name was?” she whispered.

“The Shadow Thief.” 

It wasn’t lost on Betty, the unbelievable coincidence of his name. She had prayed for the shadows to come alive and steal her away and The Shadow Thief had done just that. 

“Are you alright?” Cheryl asked at the bewildered look on Betty’s face. “I know this was a lot, but Jughead wanted me to be honest with you.”

“His name is The Shadow Thief?” Betty asked again, still unable to comprehend.

“Yes…” Betty turned to look at her, her smile a little shaky.

“Before you guys came for me, I prayed for the shadows to come alive and steal me away. I seriously prayed that almost every night. How can it be that I prayed that and he’s known as The Shadow Thief?” she asked in shock. Cheryl’s eyes widened a little and then she smiled.

“Seems like fate stepped in,” she said softly. 

Cheryl looked back at Jughead and found him watching Betty and a smirk appeared on her face. It had been a while since she’d meddled in his personal life and oh, this was going to be so much fun.

“Cheryl?” Betty spoke, her voice soft and determined.

“Yes?”

“Everyone I’ve seen seems to be in tremendous shape and it’s obvious this gym is well used and the Serpents keep themselves in good shape.”

“Yes, that’s true. In our line of work we have to be quick, and strong. We leave no room for error.”

“Can you help me?” Betty asked, her eyes moving over the machines. “Help me get my strength back, help me learn to defend myself, to fight.” She turned and looked at her new friend, a fierce determination in her eyes. “I will never be anybody’s punching bag ever again.”

“Absolutely,” Cheryl said firmly. 

Betty turned and her eyes found Jughead’s once again. The Shadow Thief. Her answer to many whispered prayers. Her protector. He was trusting her, after only a few days, with a huge secret that in the wrong hands could destroy him and the Serpents. She would never question his promise again. 

Now it was time to get herself ready to face anything thrown at her. Time to rebuild her strength, to take her life back.

Time to live.

 

That night, the nightmares came again. The demons grabbing at her, trying to drown her in pain and fear, but then, almost as quickly as it started, she was dreaming that gentle hands were soothing her, dreaming of a soft voice murmuring comfort, dreaming of strong arms wrapping around her and holding her close.

She dreamt of a gentle shadow with blue eyes keeping her safe and she curled into it, letting it surround her as she succumbed to deep deep sleep.


	6. The Beast Within

_When you look at someone as if seeing them for the first time..._

“Jug! Fuck, would you pay attention?” Archie snapped and Jughead startled out of his thoughts and frowned at him.

“What?” he asked, confused.

“I asked if the vaults were in the right order,” his friend said with a glare. “Where the hell is your head today?”

“Sorry, was thinking about JB,” Jughead muttered, as he studied the prints in his hand and looked at the vault doors that Archie had managed to find that matched the ones he’d have to get through at the Amelin mansion. 

“Sorry man, I didn’t mean to be an asshole, but I need your head here right now,” Archie said quietly. Jughead nodded and felt a twinge of guilt for lying to his best friend. He hadn’t been thinking about JB, but had in fact been thinking about Betty. 

She’d been with them for two weeks now and he was watching as Cheryl and Toni helped her try and regain her strength. She ate nonstop, determined to gain weight so she could start working out with Cheryl. She had made an attempt the day after she’d had the tour of the building but hadn’t lasted more than 5 minutes on the treadmill and had almost passed out from dizziness and Jughead, who’d been in the gym at the time had ordered her back to her room to bed and given Cheryl a lecture on knowing her limits.

They had decided then to wait until she’d gained a little more weight and that’s when Betty had insisted on protein shakes. While she was still very thin, the lines of her face softened and her cheeks were starting to fill in. Jughead hadn’t realized one could gain so quickly but the way she ate, anything was possible. He had no idea where she put it all, but she never stopped. When he had suggested she slow down a little, if looks could kill, he’d have been six feet under.

“I want to look in the mirror and not see bones!” she had yelled at him and stormed to her room and slammed the door. She’d opened it again moments later, as was her preference, but he’d gotten the message and he’d grinned in response when her back was turned. He’d made her a pizza as an apology and she ate the entire thing without sharing, much to his disappointment.

Jughead had no idea what had caused the shift in her, her determination to get well and to get strong and not only that, she stopped questioning his promise and it seemed that she suddenly trusted him completely. He asked Cheryl if she knew what had changed and she’d just shrugged and told him to ask Betty and so far, he hadn’t actually done that. But the trust was definitely there. She no longer apologized for every little thing, she didn’t flinch if he moved too quickly, she’d refuse when he’d ask her to slow down, rest a little, take her time. She wasn’t worried about making him angry.

The day before he’d been in a foul mood because Pea couldn’t track down any background on a big player on the list of names they had, making them realize it was a fake name, which made the search that much harder and he’d come to the apartment hungry and annoyed and she’d eaten the last of the sandwich meat. He’d complained, she’d told him to stop being so grumpy, he’d yelled at her to go eat Cheryl’s food and she’d yelled that he was a jerk and then he’d stupidly crossed the line.

“I swear to God, you’re driving me crazy and I’m on the verge of locking you in your damn room!” he’d yelled. He’d immediately been horrified by his empty threat and froze, bracing for her to break down and she’d clenched her fists, her face so furious, she looked like she wanted to kill him.

“Then I’ll break down the fucking door! And if you’re going to make a threat, do it with something I know isn’t a complete lie because I know you would never do that!” she’d yelled back and stormed out of the apartment. When she’d returned, he’d apologized profusely, telling her how he was having a bad day and he wasn’t thinking and he would never, ever do that and she’d rolled her eyes and told him to stop treating her like she was going to break and then had proceeded to ignore him and gone to take a bath and that had made him grumble in frustration. She was driving him crazy and he couldn’t understand why.

In only 2 weeks since he had taken Betty from her prison, around him, she had reclaimed her power and her voice and she wasn’t afraid to show it. She trusted him completely. The rest of the Serpents, she was still reserved, except for Toni and Cheryl who had basically adopted her as their sister. She was starting to warm up to Archie who had nothing but smiles and jokes for her, and Sweet Pea who invited her to watch him hack and she had found it fascinating. Fangs mostly just stared and if Jughead was going to be honest, it irritated the hell out of him. It was FP and Tall Boy that unnerved her and he remembered when they’d gone to the lounge a couple of nights before and when Tall Boy had stared at her, she’d pressed close to Jughead and he’d felt her pinkie curl around his, and she trembled slightly. An angry glare from Jughead had turned the man’s attention elsewhere. When he’d introduced her to his father, he’d simply nodded in greeting and walked away. 

Yes, there were many moments where Betty was a force to be reckoned with, but then there were the moments where he would find her quiet and withdrawn, her mind taking her back in time when everything had been right in her life. Moments where he’d find her in tears as she thought about her sister. Moments where she would tremble and struggle to not clench her fists when something reminded her of her brother. 

And the night. 

The nightmares had subsided somewhat, as there was no longer screaming and crying, but she would toss and turn and whimper in her sleep, her body already used to his touch when that happened and she’d be feeling around for him and the instant he’d touch her, she would still and sleep peacefully. He had taken to laying down next to her before it even happened and when the inevitable came, he’d pull her close and she would relax. He always made sure he was gone before she woke.

“Jughead,” Archie’s annoyed sigh made him realize that once again, his mind wasn’t on the task.

“Yes, they’re in the right order,” he said quickly. Archie rolled his eyes and stepped back to look at them. 

“Okay, the last one actually has a glass safety feature behind the door, meaning, if I want to drill through, and I break the glass, we’re toast. See these bars here?” he asked, as Jughead studied the door with him. They were two thick steel bars that were inside the door. “If the glass cracks, these bars slide into the frame and seal the door and there is no way you’re getting through it in short order. Only the combo lock code and a special key will slide them back, so I’m going to have to practice drilling through the glass.”

“You can’t just figure out the code for this one?” Jughead asked.

“I could, but I’d have to do it there and it could take a while and I don’t know how much time I’ll have. Drilling through the lock mechanism will be much quicker and unlocks the door for me.”

“Well, worry about the other ones first then and we’ll come back to this one. You have a something that can drill glass without breaking it?”

“No, but I can get it,” Archie assured him. He pulled out his smokes and lit one before handing the pack to Jughead who lit one as well before dropping himself into a chair. He lay his head back and propped a foot up on the box in front of him, taking a long drag. 

“We should probably quit smoking one of these days,” he suggested as he puffed out some smoke rings. 

“Why? Got anything better to do with your time?” Archie laughed. “The only thing I’d quit smoking for is a good woman.”

“And yet here you are, 26 and no woman to be seen,” Jughead smirked.

“Yeah, you’re one to talk,” Archie scoffed. “Mr. _I don’t do relationships_. You’re going to die alone and miserable.”

“No I won’t, you’ll be with me,” Jughead said with a shrug. “You always have a woman and yet, they never stick around.”

“Hey, I’m sampling what’s out there,” Archie said with a laugh.

“Doesn’t that get old?” Jughead asked, blowing smoke and watching it drift to the ceiling.

“You’re so fucking weird about women,” the red head said with a shake of his head. “I don’t get it. You’re a handsome guy, rich, loyal; I mean, sure you’re moody as fuck, but you could probably have any woman you wanted.”

“You want to date me?” Jughead asked with a laugh.

“Nah, your last lady friend said you snore.”

“How the fuck would she know? She never slept in my bed.”

“Christ, I’ll never understand you,” Archie sighed. “When’s the last time you got laid anyway?”

“I don’t know,” Jughead said with a shrug. “A year ago? Maybe longer.” Archie looked at him, an astonished look on his face.

“You’re going to develop a wrist sprain,” he said seriously. 

“Fuck off,” Jughead said, laughing. He let out a long sigh and finished his smoke. “Feels good to laugh a little,” he admitted.

“Yeah, nobody’s laughing much these days, are they?”

“So what do you think, about having to leave when this is done? Did I make the right decision? Are you going to leave or have the FBI chase you all over?” Jughead asked. Archie leaned forward in his chair and rested his elbows on his knees.

“I think you made the right decision because what other option was there? I sure don’t want to watch my back for the rest of my life. We’ve made ourselves pretty wealthy and I have no issues with going to retire on a beach somewhere,” he said with a smile. Jughead just nodded, still sprawling in his chair and staring at the ceiling. “What about Betty?” Archie asked. “What’s going to happen to her after all this?”

Jughead frowned. He hadn’t thought that far ahead and now thinking that she was going to go off and make a life for herself made him nervous. She had lost so much time and still had no idea what was going on in the world and the thought of just thrusting this young woman into the world by herself seemed heartless. 

“I don’t know,” he said softly. 

“Maybe she’ll join the Serpents by the time this is done,” Archie said with a smile.

“Why would she do that?” Jughead asked.

“Why not? She doesn’t know anybody else. She doesn’t have anybody else. We’ve taken her in, we’re helping her, we can provide for her. We did it with Cheryl. Would it surprise you if she wanted to stay? Would you let her?”

“I feel like she should have a life free of drama and horror and, well, criminals,” Jughead shrugged. “She has her entire life ahead of her and basically hasn’t lived since she was 16. Her coming out of captivity and joining up with a gang and the life of crime doesn’t quite seem fair, does it? Not only that, we’re leaving most likely.”

“So? Maybe a new start for her would be good. So, if she wanted to stay with us, would you let her?” Archie asked again.

“Have we ever turned anyone away?” Jughead asked quietly. “So,” he said quickly, changing the subject. “What did Reggie have for you today?”

“Same shit, different day,” Archie sighed. “All he knows is that they are actively looking for the Shadow Thief. It doesn’t seem like they have figured out yet that they should probably be looking in the world of stolen goods.”

“Well, they’ll figure it out eventually. If he knows rich and powerful people, there’s a good chance, that at some point, we stole something from them,” Jughead said with a smile. His phone buzzed and he pulled it out and looked at it, frowning at the message from the security desk. 

“Keller and Mason are here,” he said, straightening in his chair. “Didn’t think we’d hear from them so soon. Let’s go see what’s up.”

 

Once again, the agents had been led to the meeting room and were sitting and waiting when Jughead and Archie got there. Sweet Pea had been sent a text and he walked in a few minutes later.

“What can we do for you?” Jughead asked, pulled out a chair and turning it so he could straddle it and rest his arms on the back. 

“Gentlemen,” Keller said with a smile. “How’s things going?”

“We’re digging,” Pea offered. “You have anything new for us?”

“Couple of things,” Keller said immediately. “The benefit gala that you’ll be attending has been rescheduled due to bigger names not being able to attend and don’t want to just send a check. Apparently this is a big event and they don’t want to miss it.”

“Rescheduled for when?” Archie asked.

“Six weeks from the previous date.”

“What the fuck,” Jughead snapped. “That’s ten weeks from now. We’re supposed to wait that long? I was getting excited that we only had 4 more weeks to go.”

“Well, this isn’t going according to our schedules, it goes according to theirs and there isn’t anything we can do about that,” Keller shrugged. 

“Well, this might be good,” Archie said slowly. “Those safes are going to be difficult and more time to practice and plan never hurt anyone,” he offered. 

“Yeah, and hunting down these fake fuckers isn’t a piece of cake either,” Pea added.

“Fake fuckers?” Moose asked, clearly confused.

“Some of the names on your list are fake,” Jughead said. “A change of identity somewhere along the way.”

“Ahh, I see. Well you guys should be experts at that,” Kevin said with a smirk. Jughead said nothing and just fixed him with an irritated stare.

“What’s the other thing?” Archie asked, looking from Jughead to Kevin. “You said there was a couple of things.”

“Ahh, yes,” Agent Keller said, still holding Jughead’s gaze. “Well, about 4 days ago, three decomposing bodies were found in the basement of a building down town, all of them shot. After a search of the building, we found a few interesting thing, one of them being a room where it was clear somebody was staying, or rather, being kept if the locks on the outside of the door were any indication. All the camera’s had been disabled and the locks on the outside of the room had been popped. You guys know anything about that?” Archie looked at Jughead and his friend just smiled.

“No idea what you’re talking about,” he answered. “Why would you even assume we’d know?”

“Well, interestingly enough, after the room was worked over, we found some interesting finger prints. Chic Cooper’s for one. Another pair that we don’t have on file and if all the woman’s clothing we found was any indication, we figure it was one of his sisters. There was a drawer with a few pictures left behind and it was Cooper Family photos.”

“We know nothing about that,” Jughead said with a shrug.

“Well, here’s the thing,” Keller said, leaning back in his seat. “I’m going to assume the dead bodies were left by Chic. Murder isn’t the Serpent’s style. I think the men were killed because they lost something very important to Chic, like say, his sister?”

“That’s a good theory,” Archie said with a nod.

“Yes, it is, isn’t it?” Moose said with a smile. Jughead furrowed his brow and looked at the man in confusion. 

“Is there more?” he asked bluntly.

“Well, funnily enough, word on the street is….oh and by street, I mean the seedy disgusting underground of sex trafficking….that Chic is offering a fortune for information on someone known as The Shadow Thief. Seems, whoever that is, stole something very valuable to him,” Keller said, watching Jughead’s face.

“Never heard of him,” Jughead shrugged.

“Well, neither had we, so we did a little digging ourselves and it turns out, this Shadow Thief is an extremely successful thief. If you need something, he’s the one who can get it for you. Nobody knows his identity, only the channels to go through to get a message to him. Seems, he’s a ghost. I went and asked the team that had been watching you guys if they ever thought you might be him and they told me, it was impossible to prove.” Jughead pulled out a pack of smokes and lit one, taking a long drag as he stared at the agent, not saying anything. 

“You know, if you are him, we don’t actually give a shit,” Moose said with a sigh. “The offer still stands and you help us with this, we still get rid of your file whether you’re the Shadow Thief or not. In fact, we won’t even tell anyone, and that includes the team that used to watch you.” Jughead still said nothing, smoking his cigarette. 

“Who was in the room, Jones?” Keller asked, holding Jughead’s stare. Jughead rubbed his thumb across his chin and tried to figure out the best course of action. Keller wasn’t an idiot, he’d had him pegged from day one and telling him he had Betty Cooper could go one of two ways. They would leave her alone, or they would demand to take her into custody and he couldn’t allow that. He’d already figured out that Kevin Keller had integrity and he did what was best for people, whether he had to break the rules to do it or not. He decided to trust him. 

“Betty Cooper,” he said calmly. Pea and Archie didn’t say anything but they did turn to look at him in surprise. Kevin shared a look with his partner.

“Are you serious?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Not her sister as well?” Moose asked.

“Chic sold her a year ago, according to a source we found.”

“What source?” Kevin asked. Jughead said nothing. “You’re not going to tell me?”

“I told you, we do this our way. I’m not sharing my source with you right now,” he said after a while.

“Fine,” Kevin sighed. “Where is the Cooper girl?”

“Safe.”

“I want to see her.”

“No.”

“I’m sorry, but this isn’t negotiable. I’m going to need to see her,” Kevin said firmly. Jughead let out a frustrated sigh. He pulled out his phone and sent a text to Cheryl and then stood and pushed the chair back under the table. “You took her to draw him out, didn’t you?” the agent asked.

“Yes, I did.”

“And what made you think he’d care?”

“Because he sold her and I don’t think his buyer is going to be very happy,” Jughead explained. 

“Sick fucker,” the agent growled. 

“Another thing – Betty has no idea what her brother does, or that he sold her sister, or that he sold her. Keep it that way. All she knows is that Chic hurt Jellybean,” Jughead explained. Kevin nodded and they waited in silence. 

A few minutes later, Betty and Cheryl entered the meeting room. Betty immediately walked over and stood next to Jughead and Agent Keller’s look showed that he thought it interesting. When he ran his eyes over her, Jughead could see the anger rise in his face.

“Did he do this?” he asked furiously.

“Yes,” Jughead said simply.

“Jesus Christ,” Moose muttered, his own face shocked and appalled.

“Betty Cooper?” Keller asked softly. She took a tiny step forward.

“Yes.”

“I’m Agent Keller and this is my partner, Agent Mason. We’re with the FBI.” Betty gasped and turned quickly, stepping right in front of Jughead so they were almost touching. She looked up at him, her eyes filling with tears, her hand clutching his shirt. 

“You promised to protect me,” she whispered shakily. “Don’t let them take me.” Jughead lowered his head and held her wide, green eyed gaze, covering her hand with his.

“I won’t let them take you, Betty, I promise,” he said softly. She nodded and turned back around, clutching his hand behind her back and leaning against him just enough to feel him. Keller quirked a brow as he watched them. He looked at Jughead, his gaze questioning. Jughead remained quiet, smoothing his thumb across the back of Betty’s hand in reassurance and felt her tremble slightly.

“How long was your brother locking you up?” Keller asked, not mincing words.

“I don’t really know,” Betty said quietly. “If I had to guess, I’d say 2 years.” The agent clenched his jaw and Jughead could see the man’s anger matched his. Kevin turned his attention back to him.

“When you find him Jughead, we want him alive,” he said firmly, the warning clear in his eyes. Jughead said nothing as he held his gaze, his face unreadable. Keller looked back at Betty, his face serious. “Do you have any information about your brother that we could use to find him.” Jughead felt her nails dig into his hand and he gave her a gentle squeeze. He felt her straighten and lift her shoulders.

“I’m sorry, I don’t,” she said, her voice strong and sure.

“And you’d tell us if you did?” the agent asked.

“I would tell Jughead, yes,” Betty answered. Jughead smiled at her show of allegiance. Kevin raised an eyebrow and noticed the grins on the other Serpent’s faces as well. He let out a sigh, stood and walked over to stand in front of Betty. She took a step back until she was flush against Jughead who placed his free hand, because she was still clutching the other one, on her waist and gave a gentle squeeze.

“I promise we will do everything we can to make sure your brother pays for what he’s done to you and to Jughead’s sister,” Kevin said firmly and she simply nodded. “We’ll be in touch,” he said to Jughead and then they left. Jughead felt Betty sag against him and he let go of her hand and rubbed her arms gently. 

“You alright?” he asked softly and she simply nodded. He lifted his head and caught the eye of Cheryl who had been standing by the door, watching silently. She was smiling at him and for the first time since he’d known her, he had no idea how to interpret the smile. It mirrored the knowing look in her eyes and he had no idea just what it was about. 

“Shall we go back upstairs?” she said to Betty. 

“I think I’d like to get some fresh air,” Betty said, pulling away from Jughead and walking over to Cheryl. The red head winked at him and left with her.

“Well,” Archie said with a chuckle. “I think I know what Betty will want to do when this is all over.” 

“What’s that?” Pea asked, having not spoken for a while and watching Jughead curiously. 

“I think she might want to be a Serpent because she’s more loyal than FP at this point,” Archie informed him.

“That appears to be true,” Pea said with a smile. “I haven’t been paying much attention but she’s starting to look better and she seems very comfortable with you Jughead.”

“She’s very pretty,” Archie noted, sitting on the edge of the table, watching Jughead carefully. “I have a feeling, the healthier she gets, the more beautiful she’ll be. I mean, Fangs already can’t seem to stop staring at her when she’s around him.” Jughead felt himself get irritated and he glared at Archie.

“What’s your point?” he huffed.

“I don’t know, she seems quite taken with you,” Archie said with a smile.

“I’m protecting her, she’s grateful.” Sweet Pea grinned at Jughead’s defensive tone, noting for the first time that Jughead seemed more protective than he needed to be and he decided to test his theory.

“Well, you’re always occupied being The Shadow Thief and leader of the Serpents and all that shit. Maybe you should put Fangs on active protective duty,” he suggested casually.

“He’s busy!” Jughead snapped, suddenly wanting to knock their heads together. Archie burst out laughing and Jughead glared at them.

“You guys are assholes,” he snapped and left the meeting room.

“Wow,” Pea laughed, watching his boss storm off. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this riled up over a woman.”

“It’s interesting, isn’t it,” Archie said with a smirk. “Perhaps he’s finally found someone who’d make a good Mrs. Shadow Thief.” 

“Oh, this will be very interesting indeed,” Pea smiled.

 

Cheryl was called away by one of the Serpents and that left Betty to go to the roof on her own to get fresh air. She took the stairs from her floor because she knew she needed the exercise to get her stamina back. On the top floor she was heading to the utility room when she noticed the apartment on the left of the stairs had its door wide open. She was going to just continue on and then she heard the birds. 

Walking over to the door, she looked into the apartment and it seemed to be empty and was as large as Jughead’s, only it had much more stuff in it. Older things. It didn’t seem like money, it more seemed like life. A collection of a lifetime of things.

“Hello?” she called out softly, knocking on the open door. Nobody answered and she contemplated for a moment, her eyes on the enormous bird cage near the window and then decided to just take a leap. She walked in slowly, a smile forming on her lips as she looked at the collection of birds that were hopping around inside the cage. It stood as tall as she was and just as wide and there was a colorful array of birds flitting around and singing.

“Hi there,” she said softly, putting her fingers inside the cage. “You’re all so pretty.” She made her way over to the corner of the cage where a blue bird sat all by itself. “Hi pretty bird, what are you doing here all by yourself?”

“That’s Bell,” a voice said with a chuckle behind her. Betty jumped and whirled around, finding a much older gentleman leaning on a cane and watching her.

“Oh,” she exclaimed. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude. The door was open and I saw the birds and…” The man waved his hand in dismissal.

“Don’t worry love, I don’t mind a visitor.” He then took a moment to really look at her and his eyes widened a little. “Are you hungry? You look like you need to eat.” He hobbled over to the kitchen and grabbed a loaf of bread and carried it back, handing it to her. Betty took it, feeling rather foolish.

“You want me to eat bread?” she asked, watching the old man move to the chair beside the cage and settling himself.

“Well, the bread is for Bell, she really likes it, but please, feel free to eat some.”

“Oh,” she said with a flush. He motioned to the chair across from him and she sat down slowly. 

“You must be Betty,” the man said with a smile. “You can call me Pop. I’m Jughead’s grandfather.”

“Oh,” Betty breathed. “It’s nice to meet you.” Now that she knew who he was, she saw the resemblance that age hadn’t quite managed to hide. The blue eyes and olive skin. He had the same kind look in his eyes and the same gentle smile. A vastly different man, it seemed, than his son, Jughead’s father, who unnerved her every time she was in the same room with him.

“Jughead told me about you, how you’ve been mistreated and I dare say, young lady, I can understand his anger now. You look like you could blow away on a light breeze.” Betty smiled, taking no insult to the man’s words. He didn’t seem to have a mean bone in his body and just said things exactly how he saw them.

“Well, I better not go up on the roof then, I hear it’s very windy today,” she sighed. Pop looked at her in surprise and then threw his head back and laughed. Betty bit her lip and ducked her head, feeling warmth spread through her at the jolliness of the man in front of her. She had a feeling she was going to love Pop Jones.

“Now, tell me the truth girl, did you come in here because you’re hungry?” he asked, leaning forward in his chair. “Did you see my birds and think _fried chicken_?” Betty raised a hand to her chest and felt the laughter once again well up inside her and this time, it didn’t get stuck and for the first time in more months than she could remember, she burst into laughter.

 

Jughead had just reached his grandfather’s door for his daily check in when he saw Betty and heard the laughter bubble out of her and his gut clenched at the sound. He could barely get a smile out of her and Pop had her bust out laughing. He paused and watched them for a moment, the twinkle in his grandfather’s eye, the wide smile on Betty’s face. It was like his brain took a snapshot and it seemed to freeze in his mind and then it was stored away in a place where he rarely put things. 

The place where he kept the things he didn’t dare hope for. 

Jughead suddenly felt his heart squeeze and he clenched his jaw, trying to stifle the odd feeling. She turned then, her bright smile directed at him and he felt like someone punched him in the gut. 

Fuck.

She was beautiful.

He frowned at the onslaught of thoughts running through his mind and her smile faltered, and slowly slipped away as she watched him. 

“No, don’t stop,” he said quickly, stepping into the room and then let out a sigh at his idiotic mouth.

“What?” she asked, confused.

“Smiling,” Jughead said quietly. “It’s nice to see you smile.”

“Oh,” she said with a flush. 

He could see his grandfather’s curious gaze move back and forth between them and had to work hard not to roll his eyes. Archie and Pea were bad enough, but if his grandfather started ribbing him, he might lose his shit.

“Jughead is here to give me my daily update on Jellybean, I’m assuming,” Pop said with a smile. 

“That’s not the only reason I come up here,” Jughead sighed. 

“He also comes up here to check on his old grandfather and amuse him with tales of life,” the old man said with a twinkle in his eye. 

Betty smiled as she watched their banter, as it was obvious they were very close.

“So, what’s the news, boy, is our girl going to come home soon?” Jughead walked to the cage and opened the door, reaching in and pulling out a bird. 

“Still the same, Pop. I talked to Midge earlier and while her breathing has been a little erratic today, which she claims they have now fixed, she’s still the same. Just hanging on.” 

Betty lowered her head and pressed her hands together, feeling her chest ache at the conversation. Jughead rarely spoke about Jellybean to her but she always knew when he was thinking about her because his face would be filled with grief and he’d smoke at least three cigarettes, one after the other. She never brought her up because, frankly, the fact that her brother had done it made her feel almost partly responsible. Jughead squatted down in front of her and held out the bird and she managed a smile and took it gently, holding it in the palm of her hand.

“What’s got you looking upset, young lady,” Pop asked with a frown. “You aren’t feeling guilty over what your brother’s done, are you?” Betty let out a breath and met Jughead’s gaze. 

“He’s very perceptive,” he said with a gentle smile. 

“I’ve only known you for 15 minutes Betty and I can already tell that you have a beautiful heart and you are nothing like your brother, don’t you dare try to share the blame, is that clear?” Pop said firmly. Betty smiled as she gazed at him. He was a force all his own and every bit as bossy as his grandson. 

“Alright,” she said softly. “But I am very sorry for what he’s done.”

“I know you are darling, but you have nothing to apologize for.” 

Jughead’s phone suddenly buzzed and he pulled it out and read the message. 

“Cheryl is looking for you,” he said, looking at Betty. “Something about going through her closet?” Betty handed back the bird and stood.

“It was nice to meet you, sir,” she said quickly to Pop and then hurried from the apartment.

“Well, that one there is carrying too much for her young years,” Pop said with a sigh. 

“Yeah, it’s hard for her when we talk about Jelly. I try not to bring it up.”

“I like her,” his grandfather stated. “You should keep that one around.”

“Keep her around?” Jughead laughed. “She’s not a pet.”

“Well, you need a woman around you already boy, I’m getting tired of watching you mope around alone.”

“Okay, first of all, I’m protecting her, that’s it and second, I’ve had women around and you’ve never mentioned you cared about my moping or wanted me to keep them around,” Jughead said pointedly.

“I didn’t like any of them. Her, I like,” Pop said with a smile. “And the way you were staring at her when you showed up, you seem a little surprised that you’re reacting to her.”

“Let it go,” Jughead growled. “What is with everyone today?”

“I’m pretty sure she’s sweet on you boy,” the old man said in delight.

“She’s grateful!”

“You’re as thick as a river fog, boy, I swear to God,” Pop said with a roll of his aging eyes. Jughead sat in the chair Betty had vacated and proceeded to ignore the old man. He also tried to ignore the fact that the chair smelled like flowers, the same scent that filled his nostrils when he was holding Betty at night.

 

Betty startled awake about half hour after going to bed, wondering what had woken her. She sat up and looked around, saw all was dark except for the faint light coming from Jughead’s apartment. Then she heard him.

“Midge, you have to give me something here. Do I need to come down there? Tell me what to do?” he said, his voice sounding anguished. He was quiet for a while, obviously listening to something Midge was telling him. 

“You just fucking told me she flat lined….” 

Betty gasped, her hand covering her mouth, tears springing to her eyes. 

“Okay, okay and you’re sure she’s alright?” 

Betty breathed a sigh of relief. There was nothing but silence after that and then Betty heard a crash. She jumped and uncovered herself and went to the door leading into Jughead’s apartment and saw that he wasn’t there, but the door into the corridor was open. She stepped gingerly into his place and saw the beautiful decorative piece that had been sitting on the coffee table, shattered in pieces at the base of the brick wall where Jughead had clearly thrown it. She walked over to the door and looked out, wondering where he was, if he had gone to the roof, or maybe the gym to beat on the boxing bag. 

He had done neither of those things. Jughead, was in fact, quite literally, prowling the corridor. She stepped back so she was partially hidden by the door way and couldn’t help but stare as he stalked around the hall.

Jughead was only wearing his pajama pants and her eyes were glued to his bare torso. She had very little experience with men, the only one she’d ever kissed being a 16 year old boy, but seeing Jughead, his lean muscular body on display, with an interesting array of tattoos, she felt an ache spring to life inside her. She watched him as he walked, looking very much like a caged animal trying to find a way of escape. He was tense and coiled, like he was going to spring at any moment for any reason. Like a panther stalking its prey. It almost seemed like he was moving in slow motion, his arm coming up, the back of his hand wiping across his mouth. He looked anguished and furious and she had no doubt that if her brother crossed his path at this very moment, the beast within Jughead would be unleashed and Chic would dead.

She watched him pace back and forth for what seemed like forever as he tried to ease the tension in his body. He hadn’t spotted her and when he paused and leaned against the wall, running his hands through his hair she was suddenly struck by how beautiful he was. She had thought him handsome, but now that she really studied him, Jughead Jones was insanely beautiful. His olive skin, that inky black hair that always seemed to fall across his forehead, his piercing blue eyes, the way he carried himself, confident and powerful. His extremely fit body.

Betty quickly backed away from the door and hurried to her room. She had no idea what just came over her, devouring the man protecting her with her eyes like he was the food she was always starving for. She was 21 and she had spent her early teen years crushing on boys before her life had been drastically changed and now, in the aftermath, in her freedom, the woman inside her suddenly roared to life and the ache that was coiling in her abdomen shocked her.

She sat on the edge of the bed, trying to gain a hold of herself when she heard Jughead come back in and close the door. She listened to him move around and when she finally heard nothing more, she got up and walked to the door again to see if he had gone to bed. 

He hadn’t.

He sat on the floor, against the wall by the window, smoking a cigarette. The only light in the apartment coming from the moon shining in the expanse of windows. It seemed to glitter on his face and then her heart squeezed when she realized it was tears. She paused for a moment, considering her options and then slowly moved toward him. He didn’t move or look at her, just stared straight ahead, blowing smoke. Betty sat down beside him and pulled her knees up, wrapping her arms around her legs.

“I’m sorry about your sister,” she whispered. He didn’t say anything and she reached over slowly and took his hand, lacing her fingers through his as she rested her head against his arm. “I pray for her, because I prayed for myself and then God sent you.” Jughead turned his head to look at her. His eyes glittered in the moonlight and looked black as night and she felt a shiver go through her. “I prayed for the shadows to wake up and take me and then he sent me The Shadow Thief.” He let out a breath and leaned his head back against the brick, taking a drag of his cigarette.

“God has a strange sense of humor,” he muttered. 

“Or, he gives us what we ask for. I asked him to help your sister and to help you find Chic.”

“You think God will help me avenge my sister and you? He’ll deliver me Chic so that I can kill him? What about the commandment _Thou Shalt Not Kill_?” Jughead asked quietly.

“I think, this time, he won’t mind,” Betty whispered.

 

Jughead had no idea how long they sat there in silence, leaning against each other and holding hands, but after a while, she fell asleep and he picked her up and carried her to bed. He lay down beside her and pulled her close, not caring that there was no nightmare to soothe, he just wanted to hold a little bit of light to combat the darkness that threatened to consume him.


	7. Revelations

_Thoughts so sudden, that they seem the revelations of a dream._

“Any more news on Jelly?” Archie asked as he watched the entrance to the building he was parked in front of with Jughead. “It’s been three days since she flat lined, she doing better?” 

Jughead lit a cigarette and shook his head. 

“You’ve been smoking a lot more these days,” Archie said softly. “I mean, that sounds dumb to say since we both smoke like chimneys, but you are smoking enough for both of us.”

“It calms me down,” Jughead muttered, taking a long drag.

“Between JB and Betty, you have a lot on your mind lately,” Archie noted. 

“Betty isn’t on my mind, she’s in my apartment,” Jughead retorted. He glanced at his watch and sighed. “Where the fuck is he?”

“He’ll be here and stop changing the subject,” Archie laughed. “I figured you would like having a beautiful woman around,” he teased.

“Just stop,” Jughead sighed.

“Sure….. you want to talk about Fangs? He offered to teach Betty to play pool yesterday in the lounge.”

“Will you shut the fuck up,” Jughead snapped and Archie started to laugh.

“Do you even realize you’re doing it?” he asked when he got a hold of himself.

“Doing what?” 

“Acting possessive as fuck.”

“I’m protecting her,” Jughead insisted. “She deserves better than a bunch of career criminals and I’m not about to let Fangs anywhere near her.”

“Oh, okay. My mistake,” Archie smirked. Jughead just rolled his eyes and then sat up straighter when Reggie finally came out of the building. He made his way over to the car and climbed in the back seat. 

“Reggie, give me something,” Archie said, popping a smoke in his mouth. He offered the man one and he took it with a nod of thanks.

“Hey, Jug,” Reggie muttered as he lit up. 

“What do you have for us?” Jughead asked, skipping the pleasantries.

“Nothing man, literally the only thing happening is they are actively looking for you. Chic offered a hundred grand for anybody who can find you. He’s got all the low life’s looking.”

“And he hasn’t found anybody yet who knows who the Serpents are?” Archie asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Well, you guys haven’t really been operating as the Serpents on the streets in any way in six years. People have no idea where you’ve disappeared to.”

“I literally told his man that he took the sister of a Serpent and that I’m the Shadow Thief. I mean, the people who know me as The Shadow Thief have no idea I’m a Serpent and the people that know the Serpents have no idea that I’m the Shadow Thief, you’d think somebody would put it together,” Jughead said with a laugh.

“Honestly, most of his hench men are idiots with muscle and aren’t even asking the right people, so I doubt he’ll ever get his answer.”

“You thinking of getting your hands on that money yourself?” Jughead asked with a tilt of his head as he eyed Reggie in the rear view. “Do they know you were a Serpent once?” 

“No, I never said anything because there was no reason to. Besides, why would I want to tell them I was kicked out of a gang for stealing? Which by the way, is fucking hilarious since you’re all fucking thieves now,” Reggie said flatly. 

“Don’t be jealous,” Archie said with a smirking grin.

“I’m not thinking of collecting,” Reggie insisted. “I’m pretty sure you’d kill me, so I’m not going to go there.”

“Good thinking,” Jughead said. “Anything else going on? What’s Chic up to besides looking for me?”

“I don’t know. I honestly haven’t seen him. He stays hidden most of the time and we just get orders from Penny.”

“Penny?” Archie asked, his brow furrowed. “Why do I know that name?”

“Penny Peabody?” Jughead asked slowly. Reggie looked back and forth between them.

“Yeah……how do you know her?”

“Jesus Christ,” Archie sighed. “Penny Peabody? The woman who went missing last year? She’s on the list of missing women.”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Reggie said, taking a long drag of his smoke. “I remember when they brought her and I also remember looking at her and thinking that she would make a good partner for Chic because even as a victim, she was cold, heartless and when she first met Chic, she basically eye fucked him. She talked her way right into his pants and hasn’t left his side since. She doesn’t give a fuck that her family is looking for her or that they care, she saw some power in Chic and she wanted it and now they reign together, our very own sociopaths. She loved to torment Betty too,” he added. Jughead sat up and turned to look at him.

“How?”

“Well, a lot of time, she was the one in charge of looking in on her. So, if she wasn’t getting fed, it was probably Penny doing it. She liked to hurt people, make them squirm, terrify them. Almost more than Chic.” 

Jughead felt himself seething. He decided he needed to ask Betty about Penny and find out just what went on and figure out what to do. Would parents looking for their daughter want to know that she was a monster? Would they love her anyway? If found, she wouldn’t be going back home, she’d be going to prison.

“Anything else?” Archie asked, realizing Jughead was too furious to talk. “Do you know where women went when they were sold?”

“I only knew where Betty was going to go because we I heard Chic haggled with the man for months on a price.”

“Get out,” Jughead snapped, having heard enough. Reggie didn’t question him and quickly exited the vehicle.

“So, now it’s a couple in psycho love that we have to deal with?” Archie asked with a sigh.

“I’ll leave her for the FBI,” Jughead said flatly. “As much as I’d like to, I don’t kill women.”

“Well, you don’t kill _anybody_ , until now,” Archie reminded him. “And you never know, maybe Betty would like to.”

“I’m not letting Betty anywhere near those two ever again!”

Archie said nothing as he started the car and pulled away from the curb. They drove back home in silence and Jughead smoked at least 3 cigarettes in the 20 minute drive. Archie wondered if his friend even realized how much it bothered him when he heard about someone hurting Betty. For the first time in his life, Jughead was being massively affected by a woman.

 

Betty sat on the roof of Serpent headquarters and sipped her drink and smiled at Toni and Cheryl who sat with her. Cheryl had decided they needed to sit down and have a girl chat while the men weren’t anywhere to be found and Betty was thankful for the two women who had taken her under their wing.

“So you’re looking good Betty,” Toni said with a smile. “It’s nice to see you’re putting some weight on.”

“Yes, I think the protein shakes are really helping,” Betty said happily. “I feel myself filling out.” Cheryl smiled softly and pulled her legs under her on the outdoor couch they sat on. Betty was in the chair across from her and Toni was laying down with her head resting on Cheryl’s thigh.

“And things are going well with Jughead?” Cheryl asked. “I was a little nervous that you’d be uncomfortable being so close to a man you didn’t know but since it was your own little apartment and you can always lock the door….” She trailed off when Betty shifted and dropped her eyes. “Well, I get now that you don’t want the door locked, but I was scared it would be a terrible idea but Jughead is determined to be the one protecting you.”

“It’s good. I feel safe being close to him and I trust him,” Betty said quietly. “Ive been sleeping really good and getting lots of rest and I guess I feel like he’d be right there if something happened. It’s comforting.”

“I heard you yelling at him the other day when I was walking by,” Toni laughed. “I swear it about knocked me on my ass. When I try, note, I said try, to yell at Jughead, he glares me into the next room. You called him a jerk,” she finished as her laughter took over.

“He was being one,” Betty said with a shrug. Cheryl let out a laugh and took a sip of her drink.

“I know he’s being all Mr. Protective, but honestly, Jughead doesn’t let people talk to him that way. He’s not an asshole about it, but he commands respect and whether it’s someone he’s known for years, or someone he just met like you, he’s pretty set in his ways. It surprises me that you two have that kind of dynamic,” she observed as she regarded Betty curiously. Betty shrugged and sipped on her drink for a moment. She didn’t really understand the dynamic between herself and Jughead. They just meshed, for lack of a better word.

“You told me that he made you a promise to keep you safe as well,” Betty reminded her. “Can you tell me about that?” Cheryl adjusted the cushion she was leaning against and looked out over the city for a moment before returned her gaze to Betty.

“I was a runaway. I know what it’s like to have family abuse you. My father was not a good man and was responsible for the death of my twin brother,” Cheryl began. Betty gasped and leaned forward in her seat. She saw the gentle way Toni took Cheryl’s hand and knew that this was something that was still hard for the woman to talk about.

“Oh Cheryl, I’m so sorry,” she murmured. 

“He used any opportunity to terrorize us and demanded absolute obedience.” The red head pulled up her sleeve and Betty saw small circular scars on her arm and felt her eyes shimmer with tears. “He also liked to put his cigarettes out on my arm.” Betty felt the tear slip down her cheek and looked at Cheryl as if seeing her for the first time, feeling a kindred spirit in her. This woman had known terror as well. “I ran away when I was 15 and coming from a lavish, rich lifestyle, I, of course, was completely overwhelmed and it didn’t take but two days and I was cowering behind a dumpster, in the rain, in an alley that the Serpents just happened to walking down late at night.”

“I can’t imagine how afraid you were,” Betty breathed. 

“Probably no more afraid than you at times in your prison with your psychotic brother,” Cheryl said with a gentle smile. “I was sitting there and suddenly I was surrounded by scary looking men in leather jackets and to say I was terrified is an understatement. FP was in charge then and every time he tried to come near me, I started screaming and kicking and trying to disappear thought the brick wall I was leaning against. He got frustrated and Jughead suddenly appeared and he didn’t look quite as scary because he was only 16. He crouched down in front of me and held out his hand and he promised that if I came with them that I’d be safe and nobody was going to hurt me. I, of course, didn’t believe him and he looked me right in the eyes and promised to protect me and then, for whatever reason, I believed him. As fierce as he can seem, he has kind eyes.” Betty nodded in agreement. It was one of the first things she noticed about him; the kindness of his blue eyes.

“So, the Serpents have always been this way? Kind and helpful?” she asked. Cheryl shrugged and ran a hand through her hair.

“I don’t know if I’d say that exactly. Jughead certainly has been. At that time, under FP, the gang was running guns and drugs and it was dangerous and scary and Jughead wanted nothing to do with it and he made sure I was never anywhere near that. He couldn’t wait until he was 20 and could change things. In those 4 years he took care of me, he taught me how to steal actually,” Cheryl said with a grin. “I know that doesn’t sound good but we became really skilled at it and he told me that’s what he wanted to do when he took over. The idea of being able to steal jewels and cars and paintings was something thrilling. It’s an adreneline high that we chase and we’ve gotten really good at it.”

Betty didn’t really understand their lifestyle and obviously, they were criminals, but she couldn’t find it in herself to judge. These people had saved her life and were they really any different from those on wall street or any person who got rich off the backs of the poor? Everybody was a thief.

“So, you guys have gotten really rich, obviously,” Betty observed.

“Yes, we have, but we haven’t kept it all,” Cheryl smiled. “There have been many anonymous donations made in this city to help the less fortunate that may or may not have been the Serpents. For example, the wing of the hospital that Jellybean is in right now received a sizable donation just last week.”

“That’s amazing. It’s almost like you are Robin Hood.”

“Well, if anybody is Robin Hood, it’s definitely Jughead. Yes, we’ve gotten rich but that really wasn’t the point of it all for him. He chased the adrenaline and I think for him, being able to give a large amount of money and shock people is the most fun for him,” the red head laughed.

“Were you and him ever….” Betty’s voice trailed off and a flush covered her cheeks, hoping she wasn’t overstepping.

“No,” Cheryl laughed. “There was never anything like that between us. I had my eye on a young Serpent with pink hair,” she said slyly as Toni grinned.

“What about you?” Betty asked the pink haired girl. 

“Me and Jughead? No. I’ve known him since we were kids because my father was part of the gang before he passed away and I did try and kiss him when I was 14 and I think I scared the shit out of him. He didn’t come near me for weeks after that,” Toni said, bursting into laughter. “I was curious and he was in no way accommodating so I started kissing Pea. He was a much more willing participant but it didn’t last. I was more into girls as I figured out after a while.”

“So, has he ever had a girlfriend? He made some comment about being single because women were confusing a while back when I was teasing him about being a marshmallow,” Betty said with a small smile.

“You called Jughead a marshmallow?” Cheryl asked in surprise. Then she burst into laughter that Toni once again joined. “I’m sure that went over well.”

“He admitted he was,” Betty shrugged. Both women stopped laughing and stared at her. She relayed the incident and they were both nodding at the end of it.

“Yes, he certainly is one, but we’ve never been brave enough to actually tell him to his face,” Toni said with a grin. “I really love that you don’t care and just tell him what you think.”

“I didn’t know there were rules,” Betty smiled. “And it feels nice to finally be able to say what I think and feel without being afraid of a slap, or worse, a fist.”

“I’m sorry you went through all that, Betty,” Cheryl said softly. “It’s hard when the people that are supposed to love us end up being abusive. Did it happen a lot, Chic hitting you?”

“Well, thankfully, he wasn’t around that much, but every time he was, I learned to be careful. I really don’t know how often he hit me, but it was a lot and I kept trying to run away, or to get away from him and I think I was 19 when I got as far as the street and he beat me so bad I was unconscious and I never tried again after that,” Betty said in a choked voice. “At that point, he locked me in my room and I basically never left unless I was being moved. My brother is evil, there isn’t any getting around that.” They were all silent for a while and finally Cheryl gave herself a shake and smiled.

“Okay, let’s pull ourselves out of this funk,” she demanded. “Back to Jughead and being single. He’s weird about relationships.”

“How so?” Betty asked curiously.

“He doesn’t believe in love,” Toni offered. 

“Well, it’s not that he doesn’t believe in it, he’s scared if it,” Cheryl corrected.

“I don’t understand,” Betty said with a furrowed brow. “Why would he be scared of love?”

“His mother left when he was 13 and it basically turned his father, who was much to blame for the leaving, mind you, but it turned his father into a mean alcoholic and Jughead had to take care of his sister and basically his father and it soured him on the idea of ever letting a woman close. He decided, if he never fell in love, no woman would ever hurt him.”

“Well, that’s just…..”

“Sad?” Toni said quietly. “We’ve tried to get him to see that his mother left because of how she was treated by his father but I guess he can’t see past the fact that she left them, that his father spiraled out of control, that life just went to shit and he wants no part of it.”

“So he’s never been in a relationship?” Betty asked. “He’s not a virgin, is he?”

“God, no,” Cheryl laughed. “I mean, he’s still a guy with urges after all. It’s just that any relationship he’s ever had has been sexual and he makes sure the women know that going in.”

“Interesting,” Betty said, chewing her lip. “So are there a lot of women?”

“Nope,” Cheryl answered. “He’s extremely choosy, he has to like them, and it never lasts more than a couple of months and the last one was a year or so ago.”

“This is all very strange,” Betty said with a shake of her head. “It seems incredibly lonely.”

“Well, he always says he has us,” Toni said with a laugh. “The Serpents are his life and he seems alright.”

“He’s also weird about women in his bed. According to his last lady friend,” Cheryl began. “Her name was Ava, a fellow thief we bumped into at a heist. She said he would never spend the night, had a thing about wanting to wake up alone.”

“And he’s never met anybody who’s made him think differently?” Betty asked in surprise. “He’s so handsome and sweet, I doubt there would be a shortage of women wanting him.” Both women stared at her and she blushed. “I don’t mean me, I’m just….well, he’s….oh nevermind,” she sighed.

“Well, allow me to say this,” Toni said with a smirk. “I’ve definitely never seen him this protective over a woman as he is with you. So, I’d say there’s hope,” she added with a twinkle in her eye. Betty felt flustered as they grinned at her. 

“I’m not thinking anything like that,” she insisted. “I’m just genuinely surprised that there hasn’t been anyone that would make him think different.”

“If there was a woman who could make him see things differently, she’d have to be extremely special because he’s pretty set in his thinking,” Cheryl said softly, her eyes warm as she held Betty’s gaze. 

“Well, I hope there is one because he seems like someone who would love fiercely if he ever let himself.”

“What about you, Betty,” Toni asked. “Before all this awful stuff happened, what was your experience with men, or rather boys, I guess.”

“Nothing much,” Betty shrugged. “I was like any teenage girl, well, okay I was a bit more into studying than boys, but I had crushes, I liked boys. It wasn’t long after my parents died that I had my first kiss and Chic saw and he punched the boy and chased him off and after that he watched me like a hawk and never let me near any boys, so that’s all. I’ve had one kiss.”

“Has this trauma you’ve gone through changed how you think about men?” Toni asked curiously.

“I’m not sure, to be honest,” Betty said softly. “I mean, most of the Serpent men are nice and I’m not afraid of them and I trust Jughead completely and I have no fear around him at all but it’s maybe made me see that life isn’t all sunshine and roses and falling in love and living happily ever after. I feel now like I need to go after what I want, to go for it, to not waste a minute because you never know when it can change, when everything can be taken from you. There is no time for fantasy and fluff; there is only time to live and to live as hard as you can.” Toni and Cheryl shared a look and Betty knew that they might be concerned about her jaded outlook.

“But you’re only 21 and you have so much life to live. Your entire life is in front of you and you need to enjoy it, to relax, to take it all in. What did you always want to do in life?” Cheryl asked.

“I don’t know anymore,” Betty said, staring down at her hands. “I used to want to be a journalist and I also wanted to be an auto mechanic,” she shrugged.

“I’m sorry, what?” Toni laughed. “You wanted to be a grease monkey?”

“I loved it,” Betty said with a small laugh. “Getting under the hood of a car with my dad, fixing the engine, those were some of my favorite times.”

The door to the terrace suddenly flew open and bounced off the wall and all three women jumped in surprise. Jughead stood there looking furious. 

“Betty, come with me,” he ordered and she raised an eyebrow. “Please,” he added. She turned and smiled at Toni and Cheryl.

“Thanks for the girl talk,” she said with a smile. “Can we do this again?”

“Any time,” Cheryl nodded and Betty hurried after Jughead as he disappeared back inside.

Betty followed Jughead into the apartment, feeling a little apprehensive at his mood and apparent anger. He turned once they were inside, his arms folded across his chest, a furious scowl on his face.

“Tell me about Penny Peabody,” he all but growled. Betty froze, her insides clenching with anxiety at the mention of the woman’s name. She shook her head and took a step back, her fingers immediately curling and the nails digging into the skin. Jughead’s face immediately softened and he quickly stepped close and grabbed her hands, forcing his thumbs under her fingers, loosening them from the skin, smoothing over her palms with a gentle caress. “You’re safe Betty and she can’t hurt you anymore. I want to know what she was like, what she did.”

“I can’t Jug,” she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. He led her over to the couch and sat her down, sitting close enough that his thigh pressed against hers. 

“Is she the one that was in charge of watching you?” he asked gently. Betty stared at her lap and nodded. “Is she the reason you never got anything to eat?”

“Mostly,” she admitted. “Although Chic knew she wasn’t feeding me and he didn’t care. He laughed about it.”

“What else?” Jughead asked, trying to keep the anger out of his voice.

“She liked to slap me and pull my hair. She always called me names. Sometimes she ordered music to be played really loud outside my room at night so I couldn’t sleep. She thought it would be funny once to have sex with Chic on my bed while I was in the bathroom. I heard everything and I’m sure she was extra loud just for my benefit. She wouldn’t let me change the sheets after for a month.”

“Jesus Christ,” Jughead growled and before he even thought about what he was doing, he put his arms around her and pulled her close. Betty stiffened in surprise for a moment before sinking against him and shuddering against his chest. She hadn’t been held by anyone who cared in so long, she’d almost forgotten what it felt like and being held my Jughead felt amazing. 

For a moment, flashes of him walking bareback in the hallway flashed through her mind and she remembered the strength of his body and now she felt it. Strong, warm and he smelled amazing. Betty suddenly remembered the dreams she’d been having the last few days. Of hands soothing her, arms holding her and in the morning, the pillow next to her always smelled faintly like Jughead. She wondered for a moment if it was possible and decided it absolutely wasn’t possible that Jughead held her at night. Who wouldn’t notice a man climbing into bed with you? She had never been a heavy sleeper so she would definitely notice.

“Do you want me to kill her?” Jughead asked the question so softly, she thought she imagined it. He repeated the question in a whisper and she shook her head. She would never ask such a thing of him. “I’m so sorry Betty,” he said softly as he hugged her tight. She felt tears sting her eyes and wondered at him. This fierce man who didn’t want love in his life and yet he cared with his entire everything. After a few minutes, she slowly pulled away and his hand settled on her lower back.

“Why are you asking about her?” Betty asked, trying to ignore how the blue of his eyes made her stomach flutter. She tried to get her mind to think of something other than the fact that he hadn’t sex in a year and how it would feel if she was the one to satisfy his urges. She had found herself thinking about sex the last few days, ever since seeing Jughead prowl around the hallway had woken a thirsty woman inside her and Cheryl and Toni had been no help. She hadn’t even thought specifically about Jughead and sex in the same instance and now she couldn’t seem to separate the two.

“We have a source feeding us information about your brother and he mentioned her and that she was in charge of your care most of the time.”

“Who’s your source?” she asked, confused.

“Reggie Mantle.”

“I don’t know who that is,” she said with a shake of her head. “But I didn’t really know anybody’s name. Do you trust him?”

“Not really but we put the fear of God into him and he’s cooperating and all he can tell us is that your brother is looking for me.”

“Will he find you?” she asked.

“He won’t find me but he’ll find out all about me,” Jughead said with a nod. “And if he doesn’t, I’ll make sure he’s fed the right information but having him squirm for now is good enough. We have something we need to do before I deal with him.”

“What’s that?” she asked. 

“Another time,” he said softly, letting her know he didn’t want to talk about it. Betty sat back on the couch, trapping his hand against her back and she didn’t even think as she leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. 

“I’m really hungry,” she sighed. She felt more than heard his chuckle and turned to look at him and smiled. He held her gaze and she could have sworn his eyes were swirling like the ocean, which was silly of course, but dear God, they were beautiful. She couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to kiss him as her eyes dropped to his mouth. She’d had the kiss of a boy, and something inside her craved the kiss of a man. 

 

Jughead eased away from Betty and cleared his throat as he stood. 

“What would you like to eat?” he asked as he walked to the kitchen. “We could order in or I could whip up something.” 

“How about that sausage omelette you made me when I first got here,” Betty suggested as she grabbed the remote. “It was really good.” She turned on the TV and settled in to watch and he was thankful that she didn’t offer to help because he needed a minute to calm himself. He was sure Betty had been about to kiss him and he was feeling a little flabbergasted. He had barely gotten past her smile when her eyes had settled on his mouth and his entire body had reacted. He’d never been so fucking annoyed with himself.

He wasn’t oblivious to her. He had noticed her gazes the last few days and he had no idea why she suddenly looked at him with this intense curiosity, her eyes following him around, lingering on him. The previous day, he was certain she thought he wouldn’t notice but her eyes had swept the length of his body with such a thorough perusal, he’d had to leave the apartment. Whatever it was, she now looked at him with the eyes of a woman and it scared the hell out of him. He had no intention whatsoever of being anything more than her protector, but how the hell was he supposed to stop whatever was going on with her?

“Jug?” she suddenly spoke. He’d also noticed the way she shortened his name as if they had known each other their entire lives.

“What?” he replied, almost wincing at how irritated he sounded. She noticed as well.

“What’s bugging you?” she asked in confusion.

“Nothing,” he sighed. “What’s up?”

“I was just wondering….” She started before she paused for a bit. Then, to his frustration, she got up and came over to where he was chopping things for the omelette. Distance was what he wanted right now. “I know you said I couldn’t leave the property and that’s fine, but maybe….i mean, do you think just once we could go for a ride, or something? Like, you’d be with me, so I’d be safe, right?” Jughead looked at her in surprise, his momentary irritation passing. He had wanted her to stay on the property, but the thought of her leaving with him for a while hadn’t crossed his mind.

“Where would you want to go?” he asked. 

“I don’t know,” she shrugged. “For a ride? The beach maybe? Central Park? I haven’t been anywhere in so long, I’m just….” Betty trailed off and Jughead could see she was struggling and he suddenly realized how even though she was safe here, she was still locked behind walls. “I don’t mean to seem ungrateful, because this place is so wonderful, I just…I just….”

“Need to get out?” he asked with a smile.

“Yes,” she breathed.

“We can do that.”

“Oh my god, really?” she exclaimed, right before she threw her arms around him and gave him an excited hug. His brain didn’t even register what was going on before his arm snaked around her waist and he was hugging her back. He was no stranger to holding her, but she didn’t know that and he quickly moved his hands to her arms and gently pushed her back.

“Yeah, I’ll figure out a time that works and we’ll go for a ride,” he promised and she clapped her hands together, her smile beaming. “You have a beautiful smile,” he suddenly blurted and again he wondered what the fuck was wrong with him.

“So do you,” she replied immediately. Jughead had no idea why she said that because he thought he was scowling and realized, surprised, that he was in fact, smiling.

“Go sit down,” he grumbled because he didn’t know what else to say. She grabbed a piece of the cheese he was cutting and did as he asked.

Jughead finished making her food and then excused himself and left the apartment. He spent the rest of the evening sitting with Pea as he continued tracking down names, then he spent an hour with Archie working on getting past the safe doors, then he spent a good hour beating the hell out of a boxing bag in the gym before he finally decided he was being an idiot. 

This slip of a woman, that he’d known just shy of three weeks had him avoiding his own apartment like a coward, all because he was feeling flustered and frustrated, something that was so foreign to him, he had no idea what to do with it. He let out a sigh and glanced at the time and saw it was past 10 and rolled his eyes at himself. Well, she was sure to be in bed now, so it would be safe to go back up. He lit a smoke on the way back and then took a long hot shower to wash the day off. He slipped on a t-shirt and pajama pants and as usual, wandered over to Betty’s room and leaned against the door frame, taking in her sleeping form curled under the covers.

He knew he should go back to his own bed, a bed he only spent an hour in each night since she got here, after leaving hers every day before she woke. But, like every night, he walked over to her bed and lay down, careful to not wake her as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She was still tiny and thin but he found himself becoming aware that her body was changing, that there were slight curves where there hadn’t been previously and when she wiggled against him in her sleep, he had to bite back his groan. He had no idea what the hell he was doing or thinking, but he didn’t dwell on it as her warmth lulled him to sleep.

 

Betty woke slowly and for a moment she was very confused. She had been dreaming once again that arms were wrapped around her and now that she was awake, she was shocked to find that yes, indeed, there were arms wrapped around her.

Strong arms.

Jughead’s arms.

She froze for a moment, unsure of what she should do and having no idea why on earth he was sleeping next to her, holding her. It was obvious her dreams hadn’t been dreams at all which meant Jughead had been sleeping in her bed for a while now. She slowly, oh so slowly, turned in his arms and found herself face to face with the sleeping Shadow Thief.

Even sleeping, he was ridiculously handsome.

She carefully lifted her hand and touched his cheek and he stirred slightly and she quickly dropped it. This man confused her. A few hours earlier, when she had foolishly thought about kissing him, he had reacted like she had burned him, moving away from her so fast that she had no doubt he knew what she had been thinking. Then he’d practically shoved her away from him after she’d hugged him. A hug he had returned. Then she’d spent the evening alone because he had literally run from the apartment after making her food.

Now, here he was, sleeping in her bed, with his arms wrapped around her.

Jughead Jones was insanely confusing. 

And warm.

She smiled and carefully wrapped her arm around his waist and snuggled close, her cheek resting on his chest and she fell asleep once again listening to the steady beating of his heart.


	8. Awakening

_Awakening is the purpose that enfolds all purposes. ~ Stephen Batchelor_

 

Betty let out a soft sigh when she felt Jughead’s lips gently move against her neck, his hand pushing her hair aside so he could nuzzle his nose behind her ear. The other hand holding her back against him had slid under her shirt and was caressing her smooth skin, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its way. She whimpered when she felt his tongue flick against her earlobe, his teeth gently biting a moment later and when his hand moved up and brushed against her breast she gasped and pressed back against him, feeling his arousal against her backside. Her heart was hammering in her chest and she bit her lip and arched into his hand when it gently cupped her breast, his thumb sliding over the nipple, which hardened immediately to his touch.

Betty couldn’t help the moan that escaped her as his mouth and tongue moved over her skin, moving ever closer to her mouth and she was starting to feel desperate for it. She lifted her hand and ran it through his hair, pulling his mouth to hers and kissed him eagerly, the feel of his soft lips making her body tremble and an ache settle between her legs. Betty moved restlessly as he kissed her, slowly, thoroughly, his tongue sliding between her lips as his hand moved slowly down. When it teased her skin on her lower abdomen, her hips lifted, trying to get him to move lower.

“Tell me what you want baby,” he whispered against her mouth, his fingers teasing her skin while his tongue teased her lips. 

“Jug,” she moaned, her legs parting as he moved lower, his hand sliding into her underwear. When his fingers slid into her silky folds she shuddered and let out another moan, lifting to his touch. “Please,” she whimpered, feeling like her entire body was about to burst into flames.

 

Jughead woke from sleep to a restless Betty beside him. She let out a whimper and he turned to soothe her from the nightmare that hadn’t plagued her in a few days. He was about to pull her against him when he noticed the sheen of sweat covering her and her ragged breathing. Much to his shock, her hand was on her breast, squeezing as she shifted and let out a moan. 

He felt frozen as his eyes moved over her, the blanket having been tossed aside as she overheated. His body reacted instantly and he found himself holding his breath as her hand let go of her breast and moved down her body. He couldn’t seem to look away as it moved between her legs, pressing against herself through her pajama pants and then she moaned a name.

“Jug….please….”

His name. Pleading.

Jughead lost his ability to think.

“Fuck.”

His eyes flew to her face but his hoarse curse hadn’t woken her and he quickly got out of bed and left the room.

“Jesus Christ,” he muttered, running his hands through his hair. Why the hell was she moaning his name in her sleep? He sighed and headed to his room. It was almost 5:00am so he figured he may as well shower and start his day. He turned on the water, stripped down and stepped into the spray; bracing his hands on the tile and lowering his head, letting the water beat down on the back of his neck, attempting to soothe his tense muscles. 

“Shit,” he sighed, his body still completely and thoroughly aroused. He moved so his forearm lay against the tile and rested his forehead against it, closing his eyes as he moved his other hand over himself, Betty’s moans and whimpers, her hands trailing her body burned into his brain. Maybe Archie was right.

He was going to get a fucking wrist sprain.

 

Betty woke with a start, her heart racing and her body covered in sweat. The ache between her thighs was almost unbearable and she pressed them together to try to ease it somewhat. 

She had been dreaming about Jughead. 

She turned in horror and was relieved to see he was no longer beside her. But the pillow he used was still indented. She moved her hand and found his side still warm.

Oh shit.

“Oh my god,” she whispered in horror, hoping upon all hope that she hadn’t been vocal. Why in God’s name had she been dreaming about Jughead? His hands and his mouth. She groaned and rolled over, hugging his pillow to herself. It smelled like him, stronger than usual, another indication that he had just left her bed. “This is very bad,” she muttered. Despite how horrified she was, her body still ached, and her heart was still racing. 

Betty let out a breath as she recalled the dream, every delicious second of it. She was no stranger to dreams of the sexual nature. The first time she had gone exploring and touched herself, she had been 15 and had stumbled on a porn video while googling lug nuts for a car she had been working on with her father of all things and she had been fascinated. She’d spent the next month having erotic dreams and learning her body. During her captivity, fear ruled her and she had never gone there or even thought about it and now, it was clear, her sexual frustration was out in full force.

She lay there for a while, trying to calm herself when she heard Jughead shuffling around his apartment. He left a few minutes later and Betty let out a sigh. She was like Jughead repellent. Well, when she was conscious anyway. Clearly he liked being near her when she was sleeping. 

Well, he used to.

She got out of bed and went into his place to find something to eat. It was still early and the sun was just rising and she settled herself on the couch with a blanket and a container of yogurt and watched it rise high above the city, her body humming as she forced it to calm down and behave.

 

 

A few hours later, Betty was in the gym with Toni and Cheryl for her first work out. Toni mostly watched and Cheryl gave Betty the basic run down of all the machines. 

“First, we’ll get you on the treadmill. We’ll start slow, work up your endurance and lung capacity and really light weights. Why don’t you do ten minutes on the treadmill and we’ll see how it goes?” she suggested. Betty nodded and got on the machine. She still didn’t have her own clothes as she was gaining weight quickly and buying clothes that wouldn’t fit long seemed pointless so her work out clothes consisted of sweats and a t-shirt from Toni. She walked at a leisurely pace, feeling she had better endurance already because she insisted on taking the stairs every time she went up to the roof. She was quiet while Toni and Cheryl walked on their own machines, talking about some heist they were preparing for in a few weeks. Betty never really asked questions about what the Serpents did and nobody ever brought it up with her.

Betty couldn’t really focus on anything at the moment because all she could think about was Jughead and what had happened that morning. She still felt flustered and she had an aching desire to know if Jughead kissed in real life as well as he did in a dream. Were his hands as gentle? His tongue as skilled?

“Bloody hell,” she muttered and turned off the treadmill. She hopped off, grabbing the water and downing half the bottle. Cheryl looked at her with a furrowed brow and hopped off her own machine.

“What’s wrong with you today? You seem distracted.”

“I had a sex dream about Jughead,” Betty blurted and then becoming intensely thankful they were the only ones in the gym. Cheryl smirked and Toni promptly lost her balance and tripped over her feet, ending up in a heap on the floor. Betty stared at her in surprise and then burst out laughing. She didn’t stop until she was sitting on the floor, holding her stomach. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry Toni, but that was funny and I haven’t laughed this hard in years,” she exclaimed, wiping her eyes. Toni crawled over to her and grabbed her by the arms. 

“Did you say you had a sex dream about Jughead?” she asked in excitement.

“Yes,” Betty sighed. “And I think he realized.” Cheryl had been picking up a light weight to get Betty ready for lifting and she paused and turned to look at her.

“How would he know?”

“Well, he wasn’t beside me anymore when I woke, but the pillow was still indented and the sheets were still warm, so he must have left just before I woke.”

Cheryl dropped the weight and it almost hit her foot and she probably wouldn’t have noticed if it had. Both women stared at her as if she had suddenly grown two heads.

“Oh, right, that’s new information,” Betty said with a grimace of regret. Toni scrambled to her feet and pulled her up with her and led her over to the weight bench and sat her down, both hands on her shoulders. Cheryl came and stood next to Toni and they both spoke at the same time.

“Explain!”

“Jughead has been sleeping with me,” Betty said hurriedly. “I don’t know how long, but a few days at least. I realized last night.”

“You just realized? What the hell does that mean?” Cheryl asked, completely confused. 

“He gets in bed with me after I fall asleep. I thought I was dreaming it at first because I have nightmares when I sleep and then they started to change where I was being soothed and held and I would rest easy and last night I woke up and there he was, sleeping with his arms around me. He doesn’t know that I know.” 

Toni and Cheryl looked at each other and then back at her.

“Oh my God!” Toni exclaimed. “Jughead has been secretly sleeping with you?? I don’t know if I should be horrified or excited. Who is this man and what the hell has happened to our Jughead since you got here?”

“He soothes your nightmares?” Cheryl said with as much exclamation, her hand on her chest.

“It seems so,” Betty said slowly. “I used to have them every night and I only remember one or two since I got here and I’ve been dreaming about arms holding me and a voice soothing me and then I woke up in his arms, so I’m assuming he’s been taking care of me?”

“I think I might die,” Toni breathed.

“You guys are being weird,” Betty sighed. “Him sleeping with me isn’t the problem.”

“Clearly, it is,” Cheryl laughed. “Or rather, him _not_ sleeping with you is the problem. You’re spending the night wrapped in his arms and you’re dreaming about sex. How is him sleeping with you not the problem?”

“Okay, now I’m just confused,” Betty said with a shake of her head, trying to figure out what the hell Cheryl just said. “How do I stop having sex dreams?”

“By having sex?” Toni offered. Betty groaned and lowered her face in her hands. 

“You guys are not helping!”

“I’m still trying to understand why Jughead, the man who refuses to spend the night with a woman, is willingly climbing into bed with one every night, without her knowing he’s there. He won’t even do it when they want him to,” Toni pointed out.

“I told you it would take a special woman to change the way Jughead thinks,” Cheryl said, a gleam in her eye.

“No,” Betty said quickly. “Stop that. That’s not what this is at all. I’m not going to assume anything about this past that he just….”

“Likes to sleep with you?” Cheryl offered with a grin.

“Okay, that is the furthest thing from my mind. I’m not some special person in Jughead’s life. He takes care of me and just likes sleeping beside me. That’s it. I’m probably warm. Stop making it more than it is.”

Cheryl and Toni just stared at her for a minute and then burst out laughing. Betty sighed and rolled her eyes.

“Okay, I’m sorry but you must realize how stupid that sounded,” Toni laughed. “And you’re having sex dreams about him. Clearly, this sleeping beside you is making you think things.”

“Well, he’s gorgeous. Who wouldn’t wonder what it would be like to have sex with him?” Betty asked. 

“I seriously need a drink,” Cheryl gasped. “This is all too much information.”

“I mean, if I was going to want to lose my virginity and finally have sex and wasn’t looking for a relationship, he’s the one I’d pick. I like him, I trust him, he’s hot and I don’t understand how a guy who looks like he does; doesn’t have women lined up outside his door,” Betty wondered out loud. 

“Because Jughead doesn’t fuck. Jughead smokes and broods and I dare say that he needs a good lay. I can teach you to climb that tree if you want,” Cheryl offered. Toni choked on the water she had just taken a sip of and Betty stared at the red head in shock.

“Holy shit, Operation: Get Jughead Laid,” Toni exclaimed.

“Stop it,” Betty sighed, even as images of Jughead kissing her, and touching her, and pressing into her flooded her mind. “Oh my god,” she groaned, her hands pressing against her swirling stomach.

“Tell me something,” Toni asked, sitting on the bench next to her. “A sex dream usually comes if you’ve been thinking about sex. What made you start thinking about it?”

“The other night when Jughead got the call that his sister flat lined,” Betty said with a wince. “I know, that sounds awful but I was watching him pace back and forth in the hallway and he wasn’t wearing a shirt and he seemed so wound up and sexy and something inside me just….”

“Woke up?” Cheryl grinned. Betty bit her lip and nodded.

“Now all I can think about is having sex. Or more specifically, having sex with Jughead. And now I’ve had a dream and I can’t get the images out of my head. I mean, I wonder if he kisses as good as he did in the dream.”

“Yes,” both women said at the same time. Betty stared at them in surprise.

“What?”

“Work stuff, had to be done, he’s an excellent kisser. I mean, Cheryl likes it more than me, but he’s definitely a good kisser,” Toni said with a smile. 

“You’ve kissed him a lot?” Betty asked the red head.

“No,” she laughed. “Like maybe 5 times because we had to pretend we weren’t there to steal shit when we got caught in some hallway or room, but I’m not going to lie and say he isn’t a great kisser. He really is.”

“None of this is helping,” Betty muttered.

“Well, be honest with me,” Cheryl said with a smile. “Would you like to sleep with Jughead?”

“Yes,” Betty said after only a moment of hesitation. 

“Are there feelings involved in that answer?”

“I don’t think so,” Betty said, her brow furrowed as she thought. “I mean, I like him, he’s very sweet and I trust him, I don’t know. What feelings should I be feeling?”

“Horny ones,” Toni said with a smirk and a giggle.

“Well, I definitely have those,” Betty groaned.

“So, is this because of Jughead, or are you just very aware of your sexuality now and want to have sex?” Cheryl asked.

“Both, I guess? I mean, I don’t think I’d want just anybody to help me out,” Betty admitted, feeling a little confused.

“Okay, the reason I’m asking,” Cheryl began. “This is still the same Jughead I told you about yesterday. He doesn’t do relationships, he’s terrified of love, this sort of thing for him is just about sex, so if you are thinking of trying to pursue this, you have to be ready for it to just be about sex. That’s assuming he would even agree to sleeping with you just for the sake of sex. I honestly don’t think Jughead would think of you as just a lay.”

“Well, I’m not looking to fall in love, I wouldn’t even know what to do with that,” Betty shrugged. Suddenly she gave herself a shake and let out a long sigh. “Look, this thing has gotten all out of hand and my hormones are all over the place and I’m probably due for a period now that I’m on meds. Who knows, maybe it was kick started already. I don’t feel like working out anymore, I think I’ll go for a nap,” she muttered and turned to head to the exit.

Cheryl and Toni watched her go with smiles on their faces.

“What do you think?” Toni asked.

“They are both so fucked,” Cheryl laughed.

 

 

Jughead sat next to Pea, his feet up on the edge of the his table and watched him hack in and out of accounts, looking at the assets of Kristoff Amelin. It helped, even if only a tiny bit, to stop thinking about Betty moaning his name in bed. He bit back a frustrated growl and tried to at least look like he was paying attention.

“This guy is stupid rich,” Pea said. “He’s got accounts all over the world and they all have millions in them. I’m sure there are a few foundations that help women in the sex trade that could use some donations. Want me to transfer some of his cash for him?”

“Not yet,” Jughead declined. “I don’t want him on edge and doubling up his security before we get to his place. After we get the list, we’ll relieve him of some of those millions,” he finished with a grin. Jughead studied the man next to him and saw how ragged he looked and lay a hand on his arm. 

“Hey man, how are you doing? You getting any sleep?”

“Some,” Sweet Pea shrugged. “It’s been three weeks, I just wish…”

“Yeah, I know,” Jughead said softly. “Also, I’m sorry I didn’t…I sorry I got in the way when you guys wanted to be together.” Pea looked at him in surprise.

“Well, you had a good point. She was 19, I was almost 25 and you wanted her to go to school first. I understood.”

“Well, I’ll confess, I actually figured you’d maybe get over it if she wasn’t around. I don’t know, I guess I always wanted something better for her than this life.”

“I wouldn’t have gotten over her,” Pea said, his voice sounding hoarse. “I’ve loved her since she was 16.” Jughead looked at him in shock.

“What?”

Pea just shrugged and looked back to the screen, his face a little flushed. “Look, it freaked me out a lot, okay? I was 21 and suddenly falling for a 16 year old and I was actually a little disgusted with myself and I kept it to myself, dated a couple of other girls to try and get past it, but it didn’t go away. I didn’t say anything to her about wanting to date her until she was 18 and then she was scared of what you’d say, so I waited and tried again at 19 and then you figured it out and…”

“Jesus Christ, Pea,” Jughead gasped. “You should have told me! You’ve loved her for four years and never got to act on it and now she might……I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine, Jughead,” the man said quietly. Jughead opened his mouth to apologize again when his phone buzzed. He pulled it out and looked at the screen and his feet fell to the floor as he straightened in surprise. He grabbed Sweet Pea’s arm.

“What?” 

“It’s Midge,” he choked out. “About JB.” Pea froze and stared at him. 

“Jug….what?”

“She’s awake.”

By the time they reached the elevator, they were both running.

 

Twice, Pea and Jughead had to be told to stop running as they made their way through the hospital to JB’s ward. Midge was waiting for them outside her room. She held up her hand and they came to a stop, both breathing heavily. 

“Calm down guys, I’m not letting you in there all in a panic,” she said gently. They both took deep breaths, trying to calm their racing hearts. “You can both go in but only for a few minutes and then it’s one at a time so you don’t exhaust her. She is very confused, disoriented and she remembers only pieces. Please don’t say anything because we need to see if her memory will return on its own for at least a couple of days.”

“Anything else?” Jughead asked, running a hand over his face. Pea looked like he wanted to cry.

“She was asking for you and asking where she was, that’s it,” Midge informed him. He nodded and took another deep breath and moved to the door. His heart hammered in his chest when he pushed it open and saw Jellybean laying on the bed. It was as much a relief to him as it had been a couple days ago that she had almost no bandages left and she was only hooked up to a couple of machines vs as many as 6. Her eyes were closed and he moved to her side and took her hand.

“Jelly,” he spoke softly, leaning over her. Jughead couldn’t help the tears that flooded his eyes when her eye lids fluttered open. She focused on him and shifted her fingers in his hand.

“Jug,” she managed to whisper before her eyes fluttered closed again.

“I’m here, sis,” he murmured pressing a kiss to her forehead. 

“Where……where’s Pea?” He understood, even if her words were quiet and mumbled. He looked at his friend and smiled.

“He’s here, Jelly,” Jughead assured her. She managed to open her eyes again and looked until she found the tall Serpent, who stood with tears in his eyes. She lifted her free hand toward him and he hurried over and took it, leaning over her so he was closer.

“I…I called for you,” she whispered. “I wished…I needed you…” Sweet Pea broke down and sank to his knees, not bothering to hide his tears as he wrapped his arm around her waist and held her hand to his mouth.

“God, baby, I’m…I’m so sorry,” he choked out.

Jughead stepped back, swallowing against the lump in his throat, feeling like he was intruding. His sister hadn’t called for him or their father, she had wanted Pea and he suddenly realized she was as in love with him as he was with her. He felt like a complete asshole for having not realized it before. He turned and quietly left the room and let them have some time, closing the door just as FP came barrelling up the hall.

“She’s awake?” he asked loudly. “Is she in there?” Jughead stepped in front of the door and held up his hand. 

“Pea is in there, they need a minute,” he explained. FP raised an eyebrow and let out a laugh.

“I don’t give a fuck, I’m her father and I’m going to see my daughter,” he snapped, reaching for the door knob. Jughead placed his hand on his father’s chest and gave a gentle shove.

“I said, they need a minute,” his voice low, controlled. FP gritted his teeth, his face only inches from Jughead’s, eyes burning with anger. 

“I’m very close to being completely done with your disrespect, Boy, and the way you think you can control me. You better move the fuck aside, or I’ll move you!” 

Jughead braced and folded his arms across his chest, giving FP a look that suggested he not even try. The man let out a laugh and rested his hands on his hips. 

“You enjoy this power, don’t you,” FP taunted. “Being able to order people around, everyone doing your bidding.”

“This has nothing whatsoever to do with me being a leader and it has everything to do with Jellybean needing a moment with the man she loves. This is about her, not about me, so just give it a rest,” Jughead snapped. “And don’t put your bullshit and anger about me being leader on me. I took over just the way you took over when you were 20. I’m sorry you lost the authority to order everyone around, but just like Pop stepped back for you, you’re going to do the same for me and its _your_ disrespect that I’m about done tolerating,” he fumed. FP looked like he wanted to say more, his face furious, but then the door behind Jughead opened and Sweet Pea glanced at both of them.

“Jug, she’s asking for you,” he said quietly, looking haggard and tired, his eyes blood shot from tears. Jughead bit back his anger when FP pushed him aside and went into the room. “I’ll be in the waiting room,” Pea said softly. “I’m not leaving her today.” Jughead nodded and went into the room. Jellybean was exhausted and managed only a smile at Jughead before she fell asleep again. FP was again angry and stalked out of the room. Jughead left a kiss on JB’s forehead and followed him because he knew exactly what he was going to do and sure enough, he headed straight to Sweet Pea, who stood quickly when the older Serpent barrelled into the room.

“I told you to stay away from her,” he snapped. He was about to shove Pea and Jughead grabbed his jacket and yanked him back. He stepped in front of him and held up a finger right in his father’s face.

“I am _warning_ you,” he said coldly.

“This isn’t finished!” FP growled, poking his finger into Jughead’s chest before storming from the room.

“What the fuck, Jughead,” Pea sighed, sinking down in a chair. “He never gave a flying shit about Jelly, why does he care now?”

“He doesn’t,” Jughead retorted. “He’s just looking for something to control and he’s never been able to control her and maybe now he thinks he can because she’s not exactly in good health.”

“If he comes at me again, Jug, I’m going to fucking snap.”

“Understood,” Jughead nodded with a sigh. “Did Jelly say anything more to you?” he asked.

“Not really,” Pea said quietly. “We mostly just….”

“Cried?”

“Yeah,” Pea said in a huff. “I feel like a fucking sap.” Jughead just smiled and they sat back to wait.

 

 

Betty was still awake when Jughead came into the apartment well past 10 that night. She heard him move around and then there was quiet for a while and she guessed that he had gone for a shower. She waited, almost holding her breath to see if he would come to her bed again, not sure of when he actually did show up in her bed every night. It didn’t take long and she heard him come quietly into her room and he lowered himself down next to her and let out an exhausted sigh. She kept her back to him, laying perfectly still, pretending to be asleep. It didn’t take long and his arm curled around her waist and he gently pulled her close. She smiled and let herself fall asleep.

 

 

The next morning she again woke up alone, his side of the bed already cool. She knew he had gone to the hospital and again spent the day eating, working out a little and letting the sun soak her skin on the roof. Once again he arrived home late and as was his pattern, he got into bed with her. This time, after 15 minutes of pretending to sleep, she took his hand and pulled it up to her chest, hugging it to her. She felt him go still and she smiled slightly in the dark knowing he was trying to figure out if she was actually awake or doing it in her sleep. Betty decided to throw caution to the wind.

“Good night Jug,” she whispered. 

“Shit.”

His shocked whisper made her smile. He had been caught and it almost felt like he was going to pull away, but she didn’t let him. Holding on to his hand tighter and slowly drifting off to sleep.

 

 

The following day, Betty sat at the bar in the lounge and twirled a straw between her fingers. Everybody was starting to relax as news came in that Jellybean appeared to be out of the critical stage, though still in serious condition, she seemed to be on the mend. It made her both happy and nervous. At some point she would have to meet Jughead’s sister and she had no idea how the girl would react to her. 

“You doing alright?” Toni asked, coming over to refill her glass. Betty was sipping cranberry juice because Cheryl had told her it was good for her. She had wanted to put vodka in it but Toni was ordered to not serve her any until she had gained more weight. Betty hadn’t had alcohol since she was 15 when her and Polly had snuck out and gone to a party down the street and Betty had ended up completely wasted and her mother found her passed out on the porch swing and she’d been grounded for two months.

“Yes, I’m hungry. Is there food here?” Betty asked with a sheepish grin. Toni laughed and went over to the fridge and pulled out the fixings to make a sandwich. She threw it together quickly and handed the plate to Betty.

“The guys are always hungry and when the cook isn’t whipping up some dish back there, I make sandwiches,” Toni explained.

“Thank you, it’s wonderful,” Betty said after she took a large bite. Cheryl showed up a minute later and 10 minutes after she arrived, Jughead wandered into the lounge. Betty straightened and let her eyes follow him as he walked behind the bar and grabbed a beer. He looked exhausted and worn out but there was a relaxed look in his eyes now that hadn’t been there before. His sister awake had clearly eased some tension but when his father walked in a few minutes later and Betty noticed that Jughead immediately went wary, his body language on edge.

FP walked up to the bar and motioned for Toni to bring him a whiskey, which she immediately did. Jughead wandered around the bar and over to where Betty sat and gave her a small smile. She twisted her fingers nervously in her lap. She was feeling rather flushed with him being near her again and Betty was unsure of how things would move forward now that he knew that she knew he came to her bed at night. He seemed as nervous as she was.

“How was your day?” he asked softly. 

“It was good,” Betty answered quickly. “I worked out a little,” she said with a shrug. Of course she refrained from telling him that almost every workout she had now with Cheryl and Toni, they always ended up talking about sex and today Toni and Cheryl had almost had aneurisms when she told them that Jughead now knew that she knew he was in her bed. “How is your sister? I’m so happy that she’s awake,” she said quietly. Although, not quietly enough, as FP Jones heard her loud and clear.

“Well, isn’t that special, the sister of the man who put a bullet in my little girl’s chest, is happy she’s finally awake,” he snorted. Betty froze and felt her stomach clench. 

“That’s enough,” Jughead said, his voice a calm that didn’t quite reach his eyes. He looked furious.

“I’m…I’m sorry,” Betty whispered, her fingers slowly curling inward. Jughead wasn’t even looking at her but his hand reached down and took both her hands in a gentle grip, forcing her nails away from her palm.

“You don’t have to apologize, Betty,” he said, his glare focused on his father. 

“Doesn’t she?” FP said after he downed his shot, wiping his hand across his mouth and fixing his leer on Betty. She stood and almost instinctively pressed closer to Jughead who stroked his thumb across her hands in a soothing gesture. “It was her brother that fucking put JB in the hospital and here you are, protecting her as if she _was_ JB instead of Cooper scum!”

“I said, that’s enough!” Jughead snapped, his fury bouncing off the walls of the lounge. Everyone went still and Betty wished the floor would open her up and swallow her.

“I’m really sorry about what my brother did,” Betty whispered, feeling herself start to tremble. 

“Yeah, I guess you sort of have to be sorry, don’t you,” FP laughed. “You have yourself a sweet deal here and we wouldn’t want you losing your chushy position, now would we? You managed to get yourself out of a shitty life, right into the Serpent King’s bed, now didn’t you little girl. Funny enough, he doesn’t like women in his bed, so I guess you’re a pretty good fuck…..” 

FP wasn’t prepared for the fist that slammed into his jaw, sending him crashing into the bar and crumbling to the floor. Betty gasped and stumbled back. Jughead had moved so quickly she barely saw it before he swung at his father’s face.

“I’m not…we’re not….” She stumbled over her horrified words but nobody was paying attention as they ran over. Jughead had leaned down and was ready to hit the man again and Archie pulled him back and Toni ran over and checked FP. Betty looked around at the chaos and Archie basically had to wrestle Jughead back because he was livid. She felt her heart twisting inside her chest and suddenly found it hard to breathe, so before anybody took notice of her, she ran from the lounge.

She was sitting on her bed, her arms wrapped around her legs and her cheek resting on her knee when Cheryl found her a while later. Her hands clenched tightly, tears staining her cheeks. 

“Betty?” the red haired woman said softly, her hand touching her arm. “Are you okay?”

Betty lifted her head and wiped her face, shaking her head.

“Does everybody think…”

“Stop,” Cheryl said softly, giving her a gentle smile. “Nobody thinks you and Jughead are fucking and if they are, they don’t care or wouldn’t dare say anything about it.”

“He doesn’t like me,” Betty whispered.

“FP? Honey, FP doesn’t like anybody. He’s bitter and angry and he finds any reason to be hurtful and abusive. I really don’t know why Jughead puts up with him other than that fact that he’s family because anybody else would have been long gone by now.”

“Why is he so angry and bitter?” Betty asked.

“Because his wife left him; because he’s no longer in control; because he has to take orders from his son; because Jughead changed how the Serpents lived. You name it, he’s angry about it. Even JB. He never gave a shit about her until now and I think the only reason he cares is because he thought he’d have some sort of say so in her recovery or the revenge plan. The fact that he’s being put in the back seat after running the Serpents for 20 plus years does not sit well with him. He hurts people, that’s what he does and he’s been getting increasingly angry with Jughead and what happened today, well that wasn’t as much about you as it was about Jughead,” Cheryl explained.

“What do you mean?” 

“He decided to hit Jughead where it hurts. He went after something Jughead cares about to rile him up and it worked.” Betty shook her head as she looked at Cheryl. 

“No, that’s not…Jughead doesn’t….”

“Jughead cares about you Betty, even if he doesn’t know it.”

“Well, yes he cares about me. He’s keeping me safe.”

“Yes, of course,” Cheryl said softly.

“Is he okay?” 

“He is but he needed to cool down. He wanted to come see if you were okay but I told him I’d take care of you. In the state he was in, I’m afraid he wouldn’t have been much help at all.” Cheryl took her hands then and turned them to see her palms. Betty’s face burned as she looked at the cut skin. A few nails had broken through and she tried to pull away. “Let me fix this,” Cheryl said gently. She went to the bathroom and came back with wipes and bandages and soon Betty’s hands were taken care of. She also brought one of her pills. “You still feeling anxious?”

“Yeah,” Betty whispered, still feeling the tremor in her hands and the ache in her stomach. She took the pill and let Cheryl tuck her in, feeling very much like a child. Long after the woman left, Betty lay and cried. She cried for the life she once had and was taken away. She cried for the horrors she had lived through at the hands of her brother and his lover. She cried for Jellybean, that she lay fighting for her life and that her life had been almost taken. She cried for Jughead, who shouldered so much responsibility, yet found room still, for her. She cried that she was related to a monster.

She lay there until Jughead was back in the apartment and she heard him shuffling around. She waited and waited and after a while, she realized he wasn’t coming. Betty was unsure if it was because the secret was over, or if he didn’t know what he’d say if she was awake, or if he was still angry. He could have been just waiting until he knew for sure she was asleep.

An hour later, there was still no Jughead and Betty couldn’t sleep. She was so used to him being beside her, was so aware that the warmth and comfort was gone, falling asleep was impossible. She felt anxious and she didn’t know what to do, so she tossed and turned for another hour before she glanced at the time and saw that it was just past midnight. Betty threw back the covers and climbed out of bed and left her room, finding the apartment dark. She walked through it, down the hall and saw the faint light coming from his bedroom.

Jughead was still awake as well.

She walked over to his door and took a deep breath, pushing it all the way open. He was laying with his arm behind his bed, staring at the ceiling. He looked over and surprise flickered across his face when he saw her. Betty didn’t give him a chance to say anything or send her away and she hurried over and crawled into bed next to him, pulling the blanket over herself.

“Are you okay?” he asked quietly.

“I can’t sleep,” she whispered. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you, it’s just, well, usually you’re….” she trailed off, unsure of how to continue, her face burning. She lay still for a moment and then he rolled to her and one arm went under her neck and the other wrapped around her, pulling her close and she let out a sigh that almost bordered on relief and cuddled close, this time, chest to chest, their faces only inches apart. He was so warm and felt strong and so manly against her, it had her heart racing in no time at all and she closed her eyes, trying to calm the storm swirling inside her. 

“I’m so sorry about what my father said,” he said after a few minutes of silence, his voice laced with anger.

“It’s okay, Jug.”

“No, it’s not!” he insisted. Betty opened her eyes again, and was instantly hit with a swirling ache inside, her body becoming painfully aware of the man next to her. She found it difficult to take a breath and didn’t say anything, just stared at him. His eyes roamed over her face and her fingers twitched as her hand came to rest on the smooth skin of his chest when his gaze paused on her lips before moving back to her eyes. “How long have you known I was sleeping next to you?” he suddenly asked.

“Only for a few days,” she said quickly, feeling almost like she got caught doing something wrong, when really, he was the one who had been where he wasn’t supposed to be.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t…I didn’t mean to startle you,” Jughead said softly. “You were having dreams….” Betty went still and her face flushed red and he suddenly shifted nervously and she realized she had been right, he had been aware of her sex dream. “Nightmares!” he said quickly. “You were having nightmares and it seemed to help when I was….when I was there, so I just started laying down next to you before they started….”

“Thank you,” she said quietly. “It helped.” They lay quietly for a few moments, just sort of looking at each other. His fingers were making small circles on her back and she shivered, inching ever closer. “I’m glad your sister is doing better,” she whispered again, her sentiment having gone amiss down in the lounge.

“Me too,” he whispered back.

“I’m sorry,” she suddenly blurted and he furrowed his brow in confusion.

“What for?”

“The dream,” she mumbled, lowering her gaze in embarrassment. “I’m not sure what I was doing, but you….i wasn’t…I mean….” Betty stopped talking, wondering what in God’s good name had made her bring that up in the first place. She felt so confused and overwhelmed laying in bed with him, with both of them awake and aware and she felt like she was spinning and suddenly found her fingers curling into his chest, trying to ground herself. He let out a breath and she lifted her eyes to his again and his look was so intense, she forgot to breathe. She had no control over herself.

Betty kissed him.

She leaned in and pressed her lips to his without a second thought and he went completely still. His hand stopped moving and then slowly gripped her waist and she felt the touch in every part of her. She quickly pulled back, feeling mortified with herself.

“I’m sorry,” she quickly spoke, her face burning. He just stared at her in surprise and she suddenly wanted to run back to her room.

“Why are you always sorry?” he suddenly asked. 

“Because I….i don’t know,” she breathed. His hand suddenly moved from her waist and lay over hers on his chest, stopping the movement of her fingers. She also noticed that his breath was slightly ragged and his eyes kept flicking to her mouth. Her conversation with Cheryl a few days earlier suddenly came barging into her thoughts. Her very own words coming back to her. _I feel now like I need to go after what I want, to go for it, to not waste a minute because you never know when it can change, when everything can be taken from you._

Betty kissed him again.

This time – this time, he kissed her back. Jughead’s hand came up and touched her face as she felt the gentle pressure of his lips returning her kiss. It was infinitely better than any boy’s kiss she had gotten and she let out a whimper when he shifted closer, his body pressing against her from top to bottom. Betty let her hand drift up and her fingers slid along his jaw, her thumb caressing across his cheek. She felt like every part of her had suddenly burst into flame and she slid her hand into his silky soft hair and pressed closer, aching to feel more of him.

Jughead pulled back and she made a small sound of protest as her eyes fluttered open, having not even realized that they had closed. She noticed they had shifted slightly and he was braced on his elbow, his hand still cupping her face, his breathing as choppy as hers. He stared at her, his blue eyes a swirl of heat and uncertainty, like he didn’t know if he should continue but he clearly wanted to. She threw all caution to the wind and pulled his head back down and kissed him again. His hand slid into her hair and the arm under her neck moved and was soon around her waist and pulling her tighter against the hard length of his body. Her arms went around his neck pressing herself against him and when she felt his tongue flick against her lip, she gasped in surprise and delight and then it slid into her mouth and stroked along hers.

All ability to think was lost after that and Betty didn’t care in the slightest as she lost herself in his kiss.


	9. The Ugly Truth

_Don't cry over the past, cry to get over the past. Don't smile to hide the pain, smile to heal the pain._

Three days. It had been three days since Jughead had decked his father and three days of trying to rein in his temper as his father kept up the digs every time he saw him. FP was slowly but surely making Jughead want to break his face with a wall.

“Do you two want to explain to me what the hell has been going on lately?” Pop growled at the two men in front of him. He leaned against his cane, glaring first at his son and then his grandson. Jughead met his glare, arms folded across his chest, his legs braced in a stance that indicated he wasn’t there to hear bullshit or get lectured.

“I punched him,” he said with a shrug.

“The mighty leader known as the Shadow Thief punched out his own father,” FP said angrily and Jughead gritted his teeth at his dig.

“Forsythe, shut up,” Pop snapped. “I swear to god, every time you open your mouth it’s like I’m talking to a six year old.”

“Excuse me?” FP spat, his face contorting with the insult.

“I heard what you said to the young lady that we’re keeping safe and I didn’t raise my son to be an inconsiderate, rude and abusive asshole and yet, here you are, being exactly that to a girl who’s done nothing to you, and mocking the man who’s your god damned leader,” Pop yelled.

“Sorry, it’s just a little too convenient that some girl, sister to that pig who almost killed my daughter is suddenly shacking up with the Serpent King right after JB gets shot. She’s up to something.” Jughead turned to look at him in disbelief.

“We literally had to break into her room to get her and she fought us with what little energy she had to stay there, she had no idea who we were or what we wanted. How in the ever loving fuck could she be up to something? She was damn near dead from starvation!” Jughead roared.

“Well how else would she be convincing?” FP asked. Jughead clenched his fists and looked back at Pop.

“I can’t deal with this fucking stupidity. If you want to lecture someone, lecture him for being a fucking moron because I’m not standing and listening to his shit,” he fumed, making ready to leave. 

“Stay where you are,” Pop ordered and Jughead, despite being leader over both of them, had enough respect for the elder Jones and with an angry sigh, turned back and resumed his stance. The old man looked back to his son.

“Do you really believe all the dumb shit you just said?”

“No,” FP smirked.

“Explain to me why you’re doing nothing lately except attempting to rile up your son, who has the power to literally boot you out on your ass and from the looks of things, is very near to doing exactly that?”

“I don’t like how he’s running things,” FP shrugged.

“So what? I didn’t like how you were running things when you were in charge either but I never disrespected you in front of your men,” Pop snapped. “Not ever! And you,” he continued, turning to Jughead. “You can’t keep your cool enough to not punch your father in front of everybody? Does that sound like a level headed leader to you?”

“Never figured a woman would have him so twisted up,” FP said with a laugh. Jughead felt his eye twitch and he willed himself to remain calm.

“So basically, you have no reason other than you’re pissed off and you’re trying to cause mayhem? As usual?” Pop asked FP, forgetting about lecturing Jughead for the moment. “What are you so angry about?”

“I just told you,” FP said.

“It doesn’t matter how much you hate how he does things, you are going to respect him and you’re going to support him or I’ll kick you out myself. The path he has taken the Serpents on has made you a very rich man, Forsythe, and whether you hate the methods or not, you should be grateful and if I hear about you disrespecting a woman again, I’m going to disown you, is that understood?” Pop asked angrily. FP smirked and gave a mocking salute and left the apartment before another word could be spoken. Jughead’s anger simmered as he watched his grandfather grit his teeth at his son's disrespect. He stepped to him and took his elbow, helping him over to the chair.

“You okay?” he asked softly. Pop waved his hand away and settled himself in his chair, reaching over to open his bird cage and waiting for his birds to come to him.

“I’m fine,” he mumbled.

“You know this was completely pointless,” Jughead said quietly. “I’ve tried reasoning with him and he’s just a fucking walking disaster these days. His comments to Betty were the last straw and I just snapped.”

“Is she alright? She hasn’t been up to see me in a few days and I’m worried about her,” Pop sighed.

“She’s fine, I guess,” Jughead mumbled as he sank into a chair.

“What does that mean? Don’t you know?”

“Well, I haven’t spoken to her much,” Jughead admitted. “I go see Jellybean every day. She’s doing really good, Pop. Getting stronger every day.”

“I have no doubt that she’ll be fine. She’s a Jones, she’s a fighter,” the older man said, his gaze on his grandson soft and curious. “Why haven’t you spoken much to Betty?”

“Really?” Jughead sighed. “We’re talking about JB.”

“I get updates all day long about my granddaughter. I’m well aware of how she’s doing and she’s not the one I’m worried about right now,” Pop insisted.

“Betty is fine, Pop. You don’t need to worry about her.”

“Well, how would you know? You just said you’ve hardly spoken to her in a few days.” Jughead clenched his jaw and stood. He really wasn’t in the mood for another lecture. “You’re leaving?”

“I have shit to do,” Jughead snapped and turned to leave.

“Boy…” 

He paused and turned, his annoyance evident in his scowl. The old man knew when he should stop pushing. 

“Control your actions around your men,” he said simply. Jughead nodded and left the apartment. He headed downstairs to the lounge where he knew Archie was hanging out so he could go throw some punches in the gym. When he got there, he saw Betty sitting on a couch in the corner, talking with Toni and he paused for a moment, concern furrowing his brow. She looked exhausted. The next thing he noticed was Fangs sitting at the bar, his eyes glued to the blonde and his stomach churned with irritation.

“Archie, gym,” he yelled across the lounge, not caring if he sounded like an asshole. The red head immediately jumped up and they turned to go when Jughead paused and turned his furious gaze toward the man at the bar. “Fangs!” he roared. The Serpent jumped in surprise and tore his gaze away from Betty and looked at Jughead. “Find something else to look at!” Fangs turned red and immediately nodded and focused his eyes on the TV and Jughead stormed from the lounge with a smirking Archie at his heels.

 

“Well, someone’s in a mood,” Toni said with a laugh as Betty stared after Jughead. She let out a sigh and turned back to the pink haired woman. 

“I wouldn’t know,” she shrugged. “I haven’t seen much of him since his sister woke up.” 

“That’s understandable,” Toni observed. Betty didn’t bother telling her that Jughead was basically avoiding her like the plague. She really couldn’t figure him out. Yes, she had initiated the kiss between them, but he had kissed her back and he had kissed her for endless minutes. A kiss that left her breathless and shaking and clinging to him. When his hand had started to move over her hip he had suddenly wrenched away and turned her so quickly she couldn’t even respond when he had hauled her back against him and ordered her to sleep. In the morning, she had been back in her bed.

“Why do you look so tired?” Toni asked, her voice laced with worry. “I thought you were sleeping better.”

“I was,” Betty said softly. “But I guess I nap so much that it’s hard to sleep at night and somehow it’s making me really tired. I guess everything is getting a bit off schedule.” Toni studied her but didn’t say anything for a while.

“Does Jughead know?” 

Betty quickly shook her head. “I was wondering,” she said softly. “Do you know someone I could talk to? Like a therapist?” Toni reached over and took her hand.

“You want to talk to a therapist?” she asked quietly.

“Yeah, I think it would help me, with my nightmares. I don’t want to take sleeping pills,” Betty explained. 

“Okay, yeah, I’ll ask Cheryl for the number to hers that she uses sometimes,” Toni said with a smile. 

 

 

An hour later, as Jughead was finishing up his workout, he looked up and saw Toni marching towards him, a scowl on her face. He looked at her, confused by the anger he saw in her eyes.

“What’s up?” he asked, untaping his hands and flexing his fingers, trying to ease the ache from hitting the box bag.

“Betty asked me if I knew a therapist she could talk to,” Toni said, hands settling on her hips.

“So? Isn’t that a good thing?” Jughead asked.

“To try and find some help with her nightmares,” she added. He froze in surprise. “She told me and Cheryl just a few days ago that she wasn’t really having them anymore because you were helping her. Why is she suddenly having nightmares again and why does she look like she hasn’t slept in days?” she demanded to know. 

“Christ,” he muttered, wiping a hand over his face. “I…we…”

“What the fuck are you doing with this girl, Jughead?”

“Nothing,” he insisted. 

“She told us that you were sleeping with her and that it helped her because she felt safe and calm when you were there,” Toni explained. “Why is she not calm anymore?”

“Because I….look, this is none of your business,” Jughead said with a sigh. “Where is she?”

“I’m guessing she went to your apartment,” Toni said. She studied him for a while as he finished un-taping his other hand and he sighed and turned to her.

“What?”

“Betty is strong Jughead, stronger than any woman I’ve ever met. After what she’s been through, its shocking to me really. I remember when Cheryl came to us and it took her much longer to get herself straight. Betty knows what she wants and this horror she has been through has given her this outlook on life that she needs to go after everything hard core and it worries me a little because she’s vulnerable and leaving herself open to get hurt. I know that she likes you because honestly, who wouldn’t but if you’re helping her with something and it’s working, don’t fucking yank it away and expect her to just keep moving forward as if nothing happened. She said she’s napping because her nightmares don’t let her rest but I think she’s actually just not sleeping on purpose so they don’t come in the night; so go fix it and stop being a fucking idiot,” she snapped and turned and walked away.

“Shit,” Jughead sighed, throwing his wadded up used tape into the garbage. He had been avoiding her and he had been listening for her to have a nightmare and he’d never heard anything so he’d figured she was fine. It never dawned on him that she just wasn’t letting herself sleep. He felt like a complete asshole and all because their kiss had overwhelmed him. They had barely begun and he’d already wanted to rip her clothes off and fuck her and he’d never reacted to a woman that way in his entire life, even the night he’d lost his virginity. He’d been more anxious than aroused when that happened, if he was being honest, and now he was reacting like the horny boys he’d hung around and always found to be idiots. 

Jughead glanced at the time and saw it was almost 8:00 and figured he should quit hiding. He used the shower gym and grabbed the black sweats and tank top he always kept there in case he needed them and when he was dressed, he headed up to his apartment. Once he got there, he found Betty sitting at the island, eating some fried chicken and mashed potatoes and he saw she had made him a plate as well. 

“Thanks,” he said softly, picking up his fork. 

“You’re welcome, Cheryl made it,” she replied and he let out a sigh and put his fork back down. She looked exhausted and he felt like kicking his own ass.

“Toni told me you want to see a therapist,” he mentioned slowly. 

“Yes, I thought it was a good idea,” Betty said with a smile. 

“You aren’t sleeping.”

“I will at some point,” she said with a shrug.

“I’m sorry, Betty,” Jughead said quietly. 

“Why?” she asked in surprise, brushing her hair over her shoulder. It was an unconscious act on her part but for some reason it made his gut clench as his eyes traced the elegant line of her neck. He focused back on her face and found himself swallowing at her wide green eyes staring at him, waiting for his reply.

“Um…well, you got used to me sleeping with you and it was helping with your nightmares and then I just stopped and now you’re not sleeping….”

“Jughead, it’s not your responsibility to fix me. Yes, you sleeping beside me helps, but I don’t think that’s going to fix anything in the long run. I need to learn to calm myself on my own. You won’t always be around, you know?” she spoke quietly. Her chin quivered and he could see her fingers twitching like she wanted to curl them in. 

“I’m sorry for kissing you and then avoiding you for three days,” he blurted. She smiled slightly and looked down at her plate. 

“Yeah, that apology makes more sense.” He didn’t say anything and watched as she ate her food and when she started to yawn and he saw how tired she looked, he pushed his plate away and walked around the island. She let out a yell when he picked her up in his arms, her hands grasping his shoulders in surprise. 

“What..what are you doing?” she asked in surprise.

“You’re going to bed.”

“I was eating!” 

“You probably ate more food today already than I have all week, you’ll be fine,” he insisted. 

“It’s early.”

“You’re tired.” 

She frowned at him and he set her down on the bed and kicked off his shoes and climbed in next to her, hauling her up against him and pulling the sheets up over them before clicking off the lamp. 

“This is your bed,” she informed him.

“I like it better.” 

“Oh.”

Jughead bit back his sigh as she wiggled to get comfortable and he forced his body to not react to her warmth and softness. Every time he touched her, he noticed how her curves were filling in and it was becoming almost impossible to not caress her the way he wanted to.

“Jughead?”

“Betty?”

“I told you that you aren’t responsible for fixing me.”

“Go to sleep,” he sighed.

“I’m not tired,” Betty said around a yawn and he rolled his eyes. Two minutes later she was fast asleep.

 

When Betty woke a few hours later, she was all tangled up in Jughead. He was fast asleep and she was half on top of him, one leg across his thighs, her head tucked under his chin and her arm around his waist. She shifted back a little and her eyes settled on his face. He was so handsome, even in the moonlight and she could lay there the rest of the night and just stare at him.

“It’s not polite to stare,” he murmured softly and Betty jumped in surprise.

“I…I thought you were asleep,” she admitted sheepishly. A small smile appeared on his face and he opened his eyes and caught her gaze.

“You should be sleeping,” Jughead said gently, his hand moving and settling over hers on his stomach.

“Stop bossing me around,” Betty whispered. He smiled again and her eyes settled on his mouth and seemed glued there. 

“Are you going to maul me again?” he asked, his voice teasing and gruff. She gasped and frowned at him.

“I did not maul you,” she huffed. “It was a tiny kiss.”

“And another and then another,” he said softly, his hand moving from hers to rest on her leg that was still draped across his thighs. Betty shivered and tried to ignore the wild fluttering of butterflies in her stomach.

“I guess I better not do it again then,” she murmured. “You might move right out of the apartment if I do.” 

His soft laughter made her entire body ache. His hand gripped her leg and he gave a gentle tug and she found herself fully on top of him, trying desperately to not focus on the fact that she was resting intimately against him. His eyes were mesmerizing, even in the moonlight.

“Jug?”

“Hmmm?”

“Do you want me to kiss you?” she asked breathlessly.

“No.”

“Oh,” Betty whispered, her response tinged with disappointment.

“ _I_ want to kiss _you_ ,” he corrected.

“Oh…” she whispered again. “Are you going to?”

“No.”

“Oh,” Betty once again sighed, sounding rather disgruntled. 

“Is that the only word you know?” he said with a chuckle.

“You’re very confusing,” she said with a frown. 

“Why?” Jughead asked, his hand brushing gently up and down her back.

“You’re so moody during the day and you avoid me like i’m the plague and then at night….” Betty’s voice trailed off, promptly losing her train of thought when her shirt rode up a little and his fingertips brushed her skin. She was suddenly hyper aware of his body under hers. He was fit and strong and she wanted nothing more than to run her hands over his torso; she wanted to know if his skin was as warm as she imagined.

“I’m sorry Betty,” Jughead said softly. “I promise I won’t ignore you anymore.”

“And you never break your promises,” she smiled.

“That’s right,” he nodded and Betty shifted so she slid off of him and curled into his side, his arm holding her close. She lay her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, burying her face in his neck. 

“You smell good,” she murmured after a while.

“Stop it,” Jughead growled softly.

“Sorry,” she whispered. “I like it. Like soap and tobacco. It’s very manly.”

“Did anyone ever tell you that you talk too much?” he sighed.

“Yes, all the time. Before my parents died it always got me grounded,” Betty admitted and Jughead smiled at that. “And with Chic, well…” her voice trailed off and his hold on her tightened, his body going tense. She brushed her hand down his side, trying to soothe him. 

“What was the worst he did?” Jughead asked, his voice laced with anger.

“I tried to escape once and made it outside and he caught me and he was so angry he started hitting me and I fell and he started kicking and he just kept going until I blacked out. My body hurt for about 2 months after that. I was pretty sure he broke a rib but he wouldn’t let me go to the doctor.”

“Jesus Christ!” Jughead growled furious. He sat up angrily and Betty fell back in surprise as he planted his feet on the floor as he sat on the edge of the bed, his elbows on his knees, his hands in his hair. “And Penny, did she do any more than slap you and pull your hair.”

“No, but that really hurt,” she said slowly, sitting up on the bed and lifting her hand to touch his back before letting it drop again. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him,” she said quietly. “My brother is unhinged and I don’t know why he’s….what he’s….” 

“Betty, your brother…” Jughead began and then trailed off. “He’s….the things he’s done….” He shifted so he was facing her and she swallowed when his eyes moved slowly over the lines of her face. His hand lifted and he touched her cheek, his fingertips caressing along her jawline. “I don’t know how anybody could lift a hand in anger to you,” he murmured softly. “How anybody could want to hurt this face.” Betty held her breath as his thumb brushed across her bottom lip. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered. Her eyes widened at his declaration

“You….you think I’m beautiful?” she asked in surprise. He nodded and she felt like her heart was going to beat out of her chest. “You’re making me want to kiss you again,” Betty said breathlessly. 

Jughead sighed and lay back down, still looking tense and angry. Betty had to give herself a shake to get out of her fog and she frowned down at him. 

“I seriously don’t understand you at all,” she grumbled. He proceeded to roll away from her and close his eyes and she glared. He was like a freaking rollercoaster with his moods. She decided she had slept enough and it wouldn’t matter if the rest of the night was tossing and turning and she climbed out of bed and left the room. She got as far as the kitchen when he caught her and picked her up again and carried her back to his bedroom. 

“Can you please stop doing that?” she grumbled when he dropped her back on the bed and climbed in next to her. He hauled her back against him and held her tight.

“Sorry, I thought you were sleep walking,” he replied with a slight smile and she shivered, feeling his breath blow against her ear. He held her close for a few minutes and then she felt his lips press gently on her neck and she went still, forgetting to breath.

“This is how my dream started,” she whispered and then it was his turn to go still.

“I didn’t need to know that,” he sighed, his hand gripping her waist. Betty turned slowly so they were face to face and she lifted her hand to brush back the curl that fell across his forehead. 

“I think you’re beautiful too,” she said softly and his lips twitched in a smile. Her gaze dropped to his mouth and he let out a breath.

“This isn’t a good idea, Betty,” he murmured, even as his arm wrapped more securely around her, pulling her flush against his hard body. 

“I don’t care,” she whispered, her eyes fixated on his mouth. His hand came up and rested against the side of her neck, his thumb once again brushing against her lip and she couldn’t help herself as she pressed a soft kiss to it. He paused, his eyes dark and heated, and then he pressed gently and her mouth opened, her breath coming out in a rush. Almost as if it had its own mind, her tongue moved and flicked against his thumb before retreating and his jaw clenched at the action. His hand slid into her hair and then his mouth covered hers.

While the kiss the other night had been sweet and gentle, this one was like a consuming inferno. Jughead’s mouth moved hungrily over hers as he rolled them until he was braced over her, his body pressing her into the mattress and Betty was instantly overwhelmed and her body started to shake. When his tongue slid across her lips she moaned and opened, her own sliding out to meet his before he chased it back in, stroking and licking into her mouth. Her hands slid into his hair, clenching and tugging and he groaned, his hips moving against hers and she shuddered when she felt him press intimately against her. 

His mouth moved down her neck, his tongue licking at the pulse he found before he sucked the skin gently and she moaned his name, arching against him, wanting to feel more. She tugged on his hair and pulled him back to her mouth and he returned eagerly, his tongue sinking inside, tasting all the dark corners he could reach. He tasted like tobacco and mint and it instantly became her favorite flavor and she moved against him, her hands moving to frame his face as she kissed him as eagerly as he kissed her. Wet, wild, and thorough.

“Jug,” she moaned, arching up against him when his mouth left hers again and moved down her neck, his tongue dragging along her skin. His hand moved down her sides and slipped under her shirt, lightly caressing her skin.

“You’re so soft,” he whispered against her wildly beating pulse before he latched on and sucked. Betty’s hands moved from his face and down his back, slipping under his shirt as well, desperate to feel his skin against her palms. He was warm and hard, the muscles contracting as she raked her nails over his stomach. He was hard somewhere else too and Betty moved against him, whimpering at the pleasure that raced through her as the ache in her body seemed to burn down and settle between her legs. Jughead’s hands came and braced on the pillow beside her head and he lifted his head, his body pressed intimately against hers as he stared down at her, his breathing harsh and heavy.

“We need to stop,” he managed to say, his voice gruff and deep, even as he pressed against her. Betty gripped his arms and tried to control her breathing, her entire body feeling like it was going to combust. She suddenly became very aware that she was in a position she had never been in before. In bed, with an incredibly sexy man pressed against her. He was fully aroused and she was shaking with desire. It all suddenly seemed like not enough and too much all at the same time.

“Okay,” she said quickly, nodding her head as she shrank back. Jughead slowly moved to the side, watching her face as she struggled to gain control of herself.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly, brushing her hair off her face with gentle fingers.

“No, don’t do that,” Betty said quickly. “Don’t be sorry. I liked it.”

“Okay…” His voice was hesitant and held a tinge of concern and she was suddenly terrified she was scaring him off again.

“Please don’t avoid me tomorrow,” she blurted and he sighed, pulling her close and covering them properly.

“I won’t,” he promised and they lay quietly, lost in their own thoughts until they fell back to sleep.

 

“Yeah, give me an hour and I’ll be there.”

Betty woke from sleep, Jughead’s voice waking her and she slowly opened her eyes, squinting against the sunlight. She turned her head and blinked in surprise when she saw that he was still in bed with her. Jughead who, according to Cheryl, liked to wake up alone, was still in bed with her. Or rather, she was in his bed. The other night she had woken up in her bed. This time, he hadn’t moved her and he’d stayed with her. In his bed.

_I told you it would take a special woman to change the way Jughead thinks._

Cheryl’s words floated through Betty’s mind and she almost rolled her eyes at herself. He’d promised to not ignore her and this was a start, she supposed. Jughead ended the call and let his cell phone drop on the blanket, rubbing a hand over his face and yawning. 

“I need to go to the hospital. The feds want to talk to Jellybean,” he told her, turning to look at her.

“Okay,” Betty said with a nod. “I’m really sorry I can’t help more,” she added with a sigh. Jughead sat up and threw the covers aside, planting his feet on the floor. 

“It’s alright, we’ll figure it out,” he said as he stood and pulled off his tank top that he was still wearing. Betty felt the breath lodge in her chest as she gazed at the broad expanse of his back. In the bright light of the morning sun, his tattoos were easy to see and she focused on the writing on his shoulder blade.

“Be ye therefore wise as serpents,” she read out loud. 

“Matthew 10:16,” Jughead said with a smile in her direction. Betty raised an eyebrow.

“You read the bible?” she asked in surprise.

“I read everything,” he offered as a way of explanation. Cheryl had told her as much and Betty saw him reading something almost every day. He also had the name JONES inked down his right side and rather fierce looking snake wrapped around his upper arm and the head, mouth wide open and fangs looking deadly, ended right over the verse almost as if it was about to swallow it. She didn’t get a good look at his front before he pulled a t-shirt on and then he grabbed some other clothes and went into his ensuite.

Betty sat up and grabbed his pillow and put it behind her and propped herself up and looked around. While her bed was a beautiful wooden masterpiece, his was wrought iron, strong, much like the man who it belonged to. The rest of the furnishings, from the dresser to the leather chair in the corner, to the bedside tables were dark wood. The room was clean and uncluttered with not a whole lot lying around. His phone still lay on the bed and it suddenly dinged with a message and she picked it up and looked at the screen.

**Ava Ming:** Hey handsome, long time no see. I’m in town. Let’s do drinks.

Betty felt her stomach clench as she read the message. Ava. His last lady friend. Jughead came back into the room, the pajama pants replaced by dark jeans and he grabbed his wallet off the dresser.

“You…ummm….you got a message,” Betty said quietly, handing him the phone. Jughead took it and looked at the screen. He let out a laugh.

“Yeah right,” he muttered and deleted the text.

“Problem?” Betty asked.

“Nope,” he smiled. “Got rid of that problem a year ago.” Betty furrowed her brow in confusion. 

“She was a problem? You weren’t just….done with her?” she questioned. Jughead stared at her in surprise, a hand resting on his hip, while he waved his phone at her.

“Is that what people are telling you? I use and throw away women?”

“No, no…that’s not….i’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply…” Betty scrambled for a way out, her face burning. “Cheryl just said….”

“Of course she did,” Jughead said with a roll of his eyes. “Look, it’s no secret I’ve never been in a real relationship and that I actively avoid anything of the sort but I’m not some unfeeling asshole. I’ve been with women and I liked them, it was just never anything deep and that was fine with them. Ava Ming,” he said with a wave of his phone again. “-was a fellow thief. We worked with her a couple of times and everyone liked her, I liked her, we hooked up, it was _whatever_. Lasted an entire month before I realized she was stealing me out of house and home, roaming the building when I thought she had either left or was sleeping and stealing shit all over the place. We set her up, caught her red handed and I threw her out on her ass and she’s not allowed anywhere near the building. So, no, I won’t be _doing_ drinks with her,” he finished.

“Cheryl also said you don’t like to wake up with anybody in your bed,” Betty blurted. Jughead let his head fall back and let out an exasperated sigh.

“Tell Cheryl to shut the fuck up,” he growled. “I’ll see you later,” he muttered and left the room. 

Betty bit her lip and smiled. She really had no idea what was going on between her and Jughead, but it felt nice to know, that even though there wasn’t exactly a relationship to speak of and at this point her and Jughead were simply friends who liked to kiss once in a while, she was already miles ahead of Miss _Let’s Do Drinks_.

 

Jughead sat on the edge of Jellybean’s hospital bed and smiled as he held her hand. Sweet Pea, who hadn’t left her side in 4 days was sitting in a chair, dozing off. 

“Hi Jug,” she said, her voice raspy and wheezing. He could tell she was still having a hard time breathing and he squeezed her hand.

“How’re you doing sis?” he asked gently, giving her a ready smile.

“Everything hurts,” she sighed. “It hurts to breath.”

“Yeah, I know Hon. You caught a bullet to the chest and have some lung damage. It’s going to hurt for a while.”

“Is Pea here?” she asked, shifting to lift her head. Jughead gently forced her to stay still and smiled.

“He’s in the chair having a nap. He needs it. Poor guy has barely slept since you ended up in here,” he explained. Jellybean’s eyes filled with tears. 

“I love him, Jug. I didn’t mean to keep it from you, I just….”

“Hey, hey, stop okay? It’s fine. Pea is a great guy and I have no objection.”

“Jughead?” He turned and saw Midge standing in the doorway. “The feds are here.” Jughead nodded and turned back to his sister. 

“You ready to answer some questions?” he asked softly. She nodded and turned her head to look for Sweet Pea. Jughead walked over shook the Serpent awake and he jumped up immediately and had to grab the bed to steady himself. “Easy there big guy,” Jughead chuckled and Pea rolled his eyes.

“Hi baby,” he said softly, leaning down and giving JB a gentle kiss. Jughead averted his eyes, feeling both like an intruder and an irritated brother. Love or not, he was still getting used to the idea of them and seeing Sweet Pea kissing his sister was just weird.

He looked up when Agents Keller and Mason walked into the room and he leaned back against the window sill, legs crossed at the ankles, arms folded over his chest. 

“Midge, stay please,” he said when the doctor was about to leave the room. She nodded and went to stand by Jellybean, taking her hand.

“Hello Jellybean,” Kevin said with a kind smile. “I’m Agent Keller and this is my partner, Agent Mason. Would you mind if we asked you a few questions?” Jellybean shook her head and Sweet Pea took her other hand. Kevin looked over at Jughead and he nodded for him to go ahead. Agent Keller held up his phone, indicating he was recording the conversation and set it down at the foot of the bed.

“Can you tell us what happened the day you were supposed to get on a plane to Chicago?” Mason asked.

“Jughead took me to the airport and he stayed with me until I checked in and then we said goodbye at the terminal before heading to security,” JB said, unable to keep the breathless wheeze out of her voice. 

“What happened after that?”

“I never went to security,” the young woman said slowly.

“Why not?” Jughead asked, confused. He didn’t know if he could listen to this, knowing she never even made it to the place that he could have easily walked her to. It made his heart wrench.

“I had to go to the washroom and I saw some off to the side and I went in there.”

“Did anything happen in there or did you make it back out?” Keller asked. Jellybean shook her head and Jughead straightened and lowered his arms, his hands clenching at his side.

“What happened in the bathroom?” Pea asked, his voice choked as he sat on the edge of bed.

“There was a lady….” Jellybean ran out of breath and gave a little cough and her hand pressed to her chest, her face grimaced in pain. Midge grabbed her water and held the straw to her mouth and JB took a grateful drink. 

“A lady?” Keller asked.

“In a wheel chair. She couldn’t reach the paper towels and I went…..i went to help,” JB wheezed.

“What happened then?” Mason asked, hands in his pockets.

“I told her I would get them and then when I was reaching for them, I felt something pinch my thigh and then….” Jellybean furrowed her brow, taking a minute to breathe so she could speak again. “Everything got blurry…”

“Jesus Christ,” Jughead muttered and Kevin leaned forward, his hands braced on the hospital bed foot board. 

“I guess….i must have passed out or something because when I woke, I was in a room handcuffed to a bed,” JB said, her chin quivering.

“A woman in a wheel chair?” Jughead asked, his attention on Keller. “That’s how they do it?” Kevin looked back to JB.

“We checked the security footage at the airport to see if you made it there. We didn’t see either of you, or a woman in a wheel chair,” Kevin said. “But we did notice that some of the cameras were focused on points that had no view of anything, so we already concluded that they were tampered with.”

“They must have help there,” Moose suggested. 

“Well, with the names on that list and with what we’ve been finding, these people have help in high places. The only thing that will bring them down is the list and details,” Pea said angrily.

“Jelly,” Jughead said softly, noticing his sister’s eyes were fluttering closed. “Do you need a break?” She opened them and shook her head.

“I’m just resting while you guys talk.”

“Okay, why don’t you tell us what happened when you woke?” 

“I was cold and hungry and my ankle hurt a lot and there was a burn on it…” JB explained and Jughead gritted his teeth. 

“Was the woman there as well? Was she around?”

“I didn’t see her anymore but I heard someone say that I wasn’t supposed to have any marks or Penny would be pissed off,” JB explained.

“Penny?” Keller asked.

“Penny Peabody,” Sweet Pea said furiously.

“Wait, what?” Kevin asked, looking between two Serpents. “As in the woman who disappeared last year?”

“Yeah,” Jughead said. “Our contact said she shacked up with Chic almost as soon as they grabbed her.”

“Where the fuck do you have a contact?” Kevin barked. “What else does he know?”

“I’m not divulging that info just yet,” Jughead shrugged.

“Okay, you can’t go off doing shit on your own, Jones,” Kevin snapped. “We’re working on the same thing here.”

“Sorry, I’m not giving up my source.” 

“How about we just concentrate on this for now,” Mason suggested before the two came to blows. They looked furious enough. He turned back to Jellybean. “Did you know why they took you?” he asked.

“Ye…yes…” she choked out. “One of them told me that I fetched a good price and I…I knew it was sex trafficking. They told me if I tried anything, they were going to kill me,” she finished in a whisper. Jughead glanced at Pea and saw the man was livid and barely holding it together. “They brought a doctor, he was…he was supposed to check…”

“Check what?” Pea asked, confused.

“To see if – if I was a virgin,” she whispered and he let out a furious breath. “When he reported that….that I wasn’t….” she trailed off in an embarrassed whisper and Jughead frowned, looking at the other Serpent when it registered what his sister said.

“Did anybody there…” Moose’s voice faltered at his question. She shook her head quickly.

“No, nobody touched me like that but they weren’t happy that they would have to report it to the Chic guy and then one of them hit me, called me names….” Sweet Pea looked like he wanted to break something and Jughead stepped beside him and rested a hand on his back. “I was moved to a different room and one of the guys moving me told me to fight.”

“Fight, how?” Kevin asked.

“He told me….” Jellybean coughed a little and Midge, who had been standing quietly and holding her hand, quickly gave her some water. Jellybean lay back, her hand gripping Sweet Pea’s. “He told me to fight and I just shook my head because I knew if I tried that they might kill me because they kept threatening to and he whispered that I needed to fight and that was better than where I was going…” her voice broke, chin trembling and eyes full of tears. “I started to fight them. I did everything you taught me Jug,” she whispered, her eyes holding Jughead’s and he felt his own fill with tears. “Every time they touched me or came near me I fought.”

“Did you ever see Chic Cooper?” Kevin asked.

Jellybean nodded, her grip on Pea’s hand getting even tighter. 

“How did that go?” 

“Maybe we should stop for today,” Jughead suggested, noting his sister’s fatigue.

“It’s okay, Jug,” she whispered. “I want to finish.” He nodded and she took a deep breath. “So like I said, I started fighting back and it didn’t go well…” she wheezed, as if reminding them just how bad it had gone. “He was angry when he came and they told I wasn’t….intact….as the doctor put it and he slapped me…” Jughead, with his hand still on Sweet Pea, felt him start to shake with anger. “As if somehow I was supposed to have known he needed me to be a virgin. He was very strange,” she said hoarsely. “I mean, they stole me and yet he held me responsible for not being what they wanted.”

“What happened after that?” Mason asked.

“He made a comment about getting less money…” JB said, her tears spilling over. “He told me that my being a whore cost him money and then he started hitting me….” Jughead felt himself go livid but it seemed to be nothing compared to the fury that went through Sweet Pea. He pulled his hand away from Jellybean, clenching them into fists and she looked at him. “I didn’t want to go so I did what the other guy told me to; I fought. Every chance I got.” 

Both Sweet Pea and Jughead knew who told her to fight and they were both starting to be extremely thankful for what Reggie had done for her. 

“What else happened with Chic?” Kevin asked gently.

“I scratched him and it made him really mad and he punched me and I guess it knocked me out because I woke up chained to a bed again. I started screaming…” She looked at Pea again. “I just started screaming for you and thought maybe…maybe if I screamed loud enough, you would….you would be able to find me….” She choked out in sobs. 

“Pea…” Jughead said softly, feeling the man start to fall apart. His friend backed away, his face in agony and he turned and headed for the door. He threw it open so hard, it bounced off the wall and it shattered the glass as Sweet Pea stormed from the room. 

“Okay, I think we’re done here,” Jughead said quickly when Jellybean dissolved into sobs. 

“I fought and fought,” she cried. “I screamed and fought and they just kept hitting me and kicking me and then I…I don’t remember…..” she wheezed, quickly losing her breath. “I woke up here,” she managed to finish. Jughead turned his head toward a machine that suddenly started beeping really fast and then an alarm went off on another. Jellybean couldn’t seem to breathe and her face was deathly pale. 

“Okay, out,” Midge yelled at Kevin and Moose as she quickly lowered Jellybean’s bed and grabbed the oxygen mask. “Her blood pressure is through the roof,” she explained. Jughead stepped back as two nurses ran into the room and started pushing meds to calm JB down. Her eyes rolled back and her lids fluttered close as she lost consciousness. 

“Midge!” Jughead gasped fearfully, feeling completely and utterly helpless. 

“She’ll be okay, Jug,” the doctor assured him. “We just gave her something to put her out. This was too much, too soon.” Jughead nodded and wiped at his face that he suddenly noticed was streaked with tears. “Why don’t you go make sure Pea is alright,” she suggested gently. Jughead left the roof and found Kevin and Moose waiting for him. 

“You’re not questioning her again,” he snapped.

“We got all she knows and we’ll be dropping by your building tomorrow because I’m about done with you keeping shit from me,” Kevin snapped. “This isn’t a game Jughead…”

“I know it’s not a fucking game,” he snapped. “This is deadly serious and I’m going to burn this fucking city to the ground if I have to, to find that mother fucker!” 

He stormed away in search of Sweet Pea finding him outside on a bench, head in his hands, cigarette between his fingers. Jughead lit his own smoke and sat down beside him.

“You okay?” he asked softly. 

“No, I’m not fucking okay!” Pea snapped, lifting his head, his eyes filled with anguish. “You have to let me kill him Jughead. That mother fucker is mine.”

“I think, at this point, there is a few that need killing but don’t you worry, Pea, we’ll all get our chance on him,” Jughead promised. They sat silently for a while before Jughead spoke again.

“You were sleeping with her?” he asked quietly. Pea let out a breath and kicked at a rock near his boot. 

“Yeah, for about a month before she was supposed to leave.”

“And you were her…”

“It’s only ever been me,” Pea sighed, shifting uncomfortably. “Look Jug, we never meant….i know we were sneaking around but…”

“I’m over it, Pea,” Jughead insisted. “My sister is old enough to make her own decisions.”

“Yeah, well you never used to think that.”

“If you had a sister, you’d get it,” Jughead sighed.

“I get that.” Again there was minutes of silence and this time it was Sweet Pea that broke it. “Listen Jug, when she’s better and gets out of here, I want…..I want her to live with me.”

“Are you asking for my permission?” Jughead wondered with a raised eyebrow. 

“Well, I’m not about to ask FP,” the other man snorted. 

“Look man, it’s obvious you guys are going to do what you want, so if she wants that, then I won’t stand in your way. Why don’t you get back in there and wait for her to wake up and let her know that everything is okay,” Jughead suggested softly. Sweet Pea nodded, finished his cigarette and headed back inside. Jughead pulled out his phone and called Archie. 

“What’s up?” the red head answered.

“Contact Reggie, I want to see him.”

“Now?” 

“Now!”

 

Jughead sat in the car once again with Archie and watched as Reggie looked around anxiously before he hurried over and climbed.

“What the fuck, Jones! This isn’t the usual time. If I get caught, I’m dead.”

“Does it look like I give a shit?” Jughead snapped. “I’m running out of patience Reggie, where the fuck is Chic?” Archie looked at him, confusion on his face. Jughead hadn’t filled him in on the visit with Jellybean and he’d decided not to ask questions when he picked up Jughead because the man was fuming.

“Look, I have no fucking idea, okay? I told you already, he moves around and never stays in one place long. I have no clue where his permanent residence is and I only get orders from people who aren’t even close to him. I run the drugs for him, I’m rarely involved with the trafficking side and you’re fucking lucky I was even there when they grabbed JB,” the man snapped. Jughead twisted in his seat and reached back and grabbed Reggie by the shirt and yanked him forward, punching him right in the jaw. He would have climbed into the back seat if Archie hadn’t pulled him back.

“What the fuck man!” Reggie fumed, holding his face.

“Jughead!” Archie snapped, shoving Jughead back in his seat. “What the hell’s wrong with you?” Jughead pulled away and held up his hand, indicating he was done.

“Jellybean gave an account of what happened to her earlier,” he said after a while. “It wasn’t pretty.”

“Shit,” Archie sighed, running a hand over his face. 

“Look man, I’m sorry,” Reggie said quickly. “I swear, I was trying to help her.”

“I know,” Jughead said quietly. “I know.”

“What?” Reggie asked, confused. “You just punched me.”

“I had to hit someone; I wasn’t about to hit Archie. I need my ride home.” 

“Thanks?” Archie spoke with a roll of his eyes.

“Jellybean told how one of the guys told her that her only way out was to fight and that it was better than what they were planning for her. She took your advice and although it should have killed her, it saved her life. Thank you, Reggie.” Archie let out a sigh and Reggie looked at Jughead in surprise. 

“You’re welcome,” he said quietly. “I’m glad she’s doing better.”

“Start digging deeper, Reg, I want to know where this fucker is!” Jughead ordered. Reggie nodded and when Archie motioned with his head, he left the car and hurried away.

“Anywhere you want to go?” Archie asked after a while.

“Just drive,” Jughead sighed. “I need to clear my head.”

 

 

Betty was sitting on Cheryl and Toni’s couch, watching a movie with them and eating pizza when Cheryl’s phone rang. She got up to answer it and Betty lay back against the cushions and let out a sigh. It was almost 10pm and she was getting tired as they had had a movie marathon of all the big movies the last couple of years that she’d missed.

“So was this movie supposed to be a huge deal?” she asked, watching the screen and tilting her head.

“Well, it got Leo his first Oscar, so I guess,” Toni laughed. 

“I just feel cold watching it,” Betty sighed as Dicaprio got sucked down a river. 

“Who was that?” Toni asked Cheryl as she came back to the couch. 

“Archie,” the red head said, looking at Betty. “He just wanted me to warn Betty that Jughead is in a mood.”

“What else is new?” Betty asked rolling her eyes. She still hadn’t told the two women that her and Jughead had been kissing and she wasn’t sure she wanted to yet. They would make a huge deal and she wasn’t ready for that just yet. “Oh wait,” she said, sitting up and wincing. “The FBI agents went to question Jellybean today. Did it not go well?” she asked.

“Apparently not,” Cheryl sighed. “She told about what happened to her and it shook Pea and Jughead up pretty bad. Just giving you a heads up, he’s not in a good place.” Betty stood quickly and Toni paused the movie. 

“I’m going to make sure he’s alright,” she said softly, heading to the door. 

“Let us know if you need anything,” Toni spoke. Betty nodded and left.

She let herself into Jughead’s apartment and saw him sitting on the couch, his elbows on his knees, his head hanging down. His fingers were wrapped around a glass filled with what she assumed was a very _strong_ amber liquid. Walking over, she sat down beside him.

“Hey,” she said softly. She hadn’t seen him since he’d left her in his bed that morning and she’d be lying if she’d said she hadn’t missed him. Jughead lifted his head and she felt a pang in her chest at his red rimmed eyes. “Are you okay?” she whispered. It was a silly question but she didn’t know what else to say in the moment. He let out a sound that might have been a laugh, she wasn’t sure. 

“Am I okay?” he repeated. He was quiet for a while and she waited, her hands clenched in her lap. “My sister should be dead,” he finally spoke. “She fought monsters to keep from being sold as a sex slave and she should be dead. Under the advice of a man who knew what was going to happen to her, she decided to fight and maybe die rather than be sold off.” He lifted his glass and downed the remaining contents and winced as it burned down his throat. “She…” his voice broke and Betty placed her hand on his back, offering a small amount of comfort. “She chose to fight and possibly die rather than get sold,” he ground out. 

His hand clenched around the glass and suddenly he flung it into the fireplace where it shattered against the brick wall. Betty jumped and let out a breath.

“I’m sorry, Jug,” she said quietly, tears stinging her eyes. 

“Stop apologizing,” he snapped. “I don’t need a fucking apology. I need your brother dead at my fucking feet!” Betty nodded quickly, pressing a hand to her stomach as she felt her anxiety rising. She felt like sobbing but the lump in her throat would barely even let her breathe. 

“Can I get you anything?” she managed to choke out, her voice shaky and hoarse. 

“No,” he grumbled. 

“Okay,” she whispered and then she got up and hurried from the room. Back in her own space, she took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. Her hands were shaking and she shook them to ease the ache in them. Jughead was angry and he had every right to be and she couldn’t help him. Nothing would fix this except giving him exactly what he wanted. Chic dead at his feet and dear god, she wished she could provide that. She stood beside her bed, looking at the door way and then, almost appearing out of thin air, he was there. His body filling the space.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean….”

“It’s okay,” she quickly interrupted. “I just wish….i wish I could help,” she whispered. Jughead slowly walked toward her and her heart started racing in her chest. He looked dark and dangerous, his face a furious scowl and she should have been afraid but for whatever reason, she wanted to touch him. She wanted to take his pain and anger away. She wanted to take his mind far away from the horrors he had heard. 

Jughead stopped a breath away from her, his body brushing against hers and his scent enveloped her, making her tremble. His hands came up and framed her face, and she lost herself in his heated gaze. He lowered his head, his forehead touching hers and he drew in a shaky breath.

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” he whispered.

“It’s okay,” she whispered back. She pulled back and gave him a gentle smile. “Let’s get in bed,” she suggested. “You need to rest.” He nodded and stepped back, pulling off his shirt. She tried to stay calm when his hand went to his belt buckle and he undid his jeans. She wasn’t prepared when they dropped and he kicked them off with his boots and socks and he sat down on the bed in just his boxer briefs. 

Sweet mother of god, was she supposed to sleep next to him like that? He pulled the covers back and got in, laying down and waiting for her. Betty was dressed in a long skirt and blouse and she hesitated for a moment, feeling incredibly self conscious and trying to remember what her body had looked like that morning when she’d been naked in the bathroom. Was she still skin and bones? Had she filled out enough so she looked like a woman and not a girl. She held her breath and quickly unbuttoned her shirt and slipped it off before pushing her skirt down her legs, leaving her in her simple cotton panties and bra and she quickly climbed into bed and pulled the covers up. 

They lay side by side, barely breathing.

“All that eating is paying off,” he suddenly murmured, his voice sounding a little strangled.

“Your working out is paying off,” she offered breathlessly. She had no idea why she said that but it was all she could think of under the circumstances. 

“I’m the leader of the Serpents,” Jughead said. She turned to look at him, confused.

“I know.”

“I’m The Shadow Thief,” he added.

“Yes,” she agreed.

“Nobody fucks with me if they know what’s good for them,” he growled.

“Ummm yes, I’ve heard,” Betty said slowly. “You’re strong, fierce, a force to be reckoned with.”

“So why the fuck am I lying in bed with a beautiful woman and completely and utterly terrified to touch her?” he grumbled. A slow smile spread across Betty’s face.

“Because you’re a marshmallow?” she offered. He rolled to his side to face her, his head resting on his arm.

“You’re a brat, you know that?” he said with a tiny hint of a smile. She bit her lip and his eyes focused on it, his hand lifted to touch his thumb to the trapped flesh, gently tugging it free.

“You’re making me want to snuggle closer,” she warned and he smiled.

“Is that a problem?”

“Well, we’re both almost naked and since….”

“Since you keep mauling me?”

“Shut up, I do not,” she sighed in exasperation. “You haven’t once protested.” His hand moved down her arm and she shivered. 

“Cold?” he asked.

“It’s the middle of summer.”

“You seem cold,” he insisted, shifting closer. 

“Jughead?” 

“Hmmm?” 

“Would you like me to maul you?” 

“I can’t think of anything I’d like more,” he sighed. Betty didn't hesitate and grabbed his face, pulling him in for a kiss. His arms immediately went around her, pulling her against him and they both groaned at the touch of skin from head to toe.

“Fuck,” he gasped, rolling her until he lay over her, nestled between her legs. 

“This really isn't a good idea,” she whimpered, pressing against him.

“I don’t care,” he whispered, his tongue sliding into her mouth and she wrapped herself all around him, caring even less than he did.


	10. Betrayal and Rejection

“Oh shit,” Jughead whispered as he came awake. He turned his head and looked at Betty who lay sleeping next to him, her hand clutching his. The previous night came slamming back to him and he let out a sigh and ran a hand over his face. Besides the fact that they had made out until his mouth was almost over her nipple and his fingers were about to rip off her panties before he managed to get control of himself, which he really should get a medal for because after a year of not having sex and then having the sexiest women he’s ever seen under him in bed, how he managed to gain control was fucking beyond him; he had also blurted out that Chic was a sex trafficker. 

Now that memory and sanity returned, he realized she hadn’t reacted at all to what he’d said and he furrowed his brow in confusion. Had she not heard him? Had she known? He was about to wake her and decided to take a moment and just admire her beauty because she was exactly that, so beautiful. He tried to remember what she’d looked like when he’d first seen her and she had looked so deathly sick, pale and thin, he’d had no idea how she could even stand, but now that she was eating all the live long day, taking supplements and piling her body full of nutrition, the weight went on quickly and her curves were nothing short of magnificent. With her long legs and effortless beauty, Jughead had no doubt she could be a super model. Well, if she cared about that sort of thing and maintaining a certain body type. He was quickly learning that Betty would pick a cheeseburger or pizza over a salad any day of the week and anybody telling her what or what not to eat got them a death glare as Toni had found out a week ago when she’d suggested Betty eat a banana instead of the bag of chips she’d been wolfing down.

Her work outs were showing as well. He could see the sleek muscle building as Cheryl had her lifting and pushing weights and he had no doubt that in strength, she would soon be formidable. He sighed in frustration when his body started reacting to his ogling of her and he took a few breaths to make it go back to sleep before he reached over and gently shook her. Her bright green eyes slowly opening and locking on his didn’t help much in putting his body back to sleep. 

“Hi,” she said softly, a smile spreading across her face. That didn’t help either. God, why was she so beautiful? “What time is it?” 

“It’s early,” he replied. He really couldn’t help himself as his arm curled around her and he pulled her close. He let out a breath when he felt her silky skin against his.

“We’re still almost naked,” she whispered. “And we’ll probably start kissing and then you’ll demand I go to sleep again,” she added with a roll of her eyes. 

“That bugs you?” he asked with a chuckle. 

“It’s very annoying and you’re always doing it when things get…” her voice trailed off with a sigh.

“Heated?” he offered. “Sorry, I’m just trying to be smart.”

“How on earth is that being smart?” 

“Nevermind,” he sighed. “Betty, about last night; I’m sorry I flipped out like I did. Yesterday was rough and I hope I didn’t scare you.”

“You didn’t,” she insisted softly, touching his face. He leaned into her hand and it seriously was like he had no control of himself around her and the battle to try was getting harder every day.

“Do you remember what I told you? About Jellybean?” he asked slowly. She looked confused at the question.

“That she fought the monsters, that she chose to rather fight and possibly die than stay with Chic,” she said slowly, unsure of why he was asking. Jughead felt his breath catch and he became as confused as she seemed.

“That’s what I said? She’s rather die than stay with Chic?”

“I think so….yeah….is that not what you said?

“Yes, yeah,” Jughead said quickly. “I just was hoping the way I said it wasn’t upsetting,” he explained, trying to cover. He felt bad, not telling her the full truth, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it.

“It’s fine,” Betty said softly. “I just feel awful that she was ever near my brother and the horrible things he did. I’m really glad she’s doing better.”

“Me too,” Jughead said, letting out a breath as her hand smoothed over his chest. He took it, lacing his fingers through hers.

“Maybe we should get dressed,” Betty suggested.

“It’s too early,” he smiled. “Just past 5:00.”

“What day is it?” 

“Sunday.”

“Do you have anything you need to do today?” she asked, brushing the curl off his forehead. _I’d like to do you_ he thought to himself but it was probably best not to say that.

“I have a couple things I need to go over with Archie and then I thought maybe we could take that ride, if you still want to get out,” he smiled.

“Really?” she gasped. “We can go for a ride?”

“Yeah,” Jughead said softly, trailing a finger along her jaw. They lay quietly for a while, just looking at each other. 

“I’m hungry,” she said after a while and he let out soft laughter. 

“What else is new?” he teased. “You want me to make you some breakfast? Eggs?”

“And toast?” she smiled. 

“Whatever you want,” Jughead murmured, his eyes drawn to her lip caught between her teeth. He let out a frustrated sigh and sat up, throwing the blanket aside and swinging his legs off the bed. He grabbed his jeans off the floor and got up and pulled them on, feeling her gaze on him the whole time. “Be back in a bit,” he said with a wink and left the room. 

Out in the kitchen he grabbed the eggs from the fridge and set to making breakfast. After he got things going, he went over to the couch and grabbed his phone from the coffee table where he’d left it the previous night. He glanced toward the fireplace where the broken glass still glittered and he sighed, making a mental note to clean it up. He opened his phone and shot off a text.

_Meet me on the roof at 9 if you’re up._

He went back to finishing breakfast and made a couple plates and carried them back to Betty’s room. He walked in and stopped and stared. She had fallen back to sleep and she was wearing his t-shirt that she must have grabbed off the floor when he’d left. He kind of lost his breath as he watched her. No woman had ever worn his shirt before and he decided it’s all he wanted Betty to wear from now on. 

Jughead gritted his teeth in frustration as he turned and walked back to the kitchen. What the hell was wrong with him? Getting excited because she was wearing his shirt? Climbing into her bed every night? Kissing her like she was the first or last woman he’d ever kissed? Wanting her naked and writhing beneath him like he had her last night? He’d been so close to doing it all with her and she would have let him. 

“God dammit,” he muttered, setting the plates on the island. He saw it wasn’t even 6:00 yet and he was wide awake now and didn’t really feel like going to work out. He went over to his bookshelf and grabbed the book he was working on finishing and went back to Betty’s bed. He left his jeans on and just climbed in next to her and propped himself up and smiled when she curled into his side in her sleep. He remembered what she had said the day before. Cheryl had told her that he didn’t like to wake up with a woman in his bed and she had been right, he never had and yet here he was, waking up with her and then crawling right back in once he was out.

“Christ, Jughead. What are you doing?” he whispered, letting his head fall back against the head board and lifting his hand to run it through his hair. He glanced down and smoothed her hair back and let his thumb slide along her cheekbone. He smiled when she wrinkled her nose and he settled in to read.

 

 

Jughead sat on the patio couch, his foot resting on the fire table in front of him and he leaned his head back, taking a long drag of his cigarette. He watched the clouds for a while, enjoying the morning quiet that always seemed to permeate over the city on Sundays. Almost like the calm before the storm. A few minutes later, Cheryl sat down beside him, curling her legs under her, her elbow on the back of the couch and her cheek resting on her fist.

“You called, Boss?” she ribbed with a smile. Jughead sighed and turned his head to look at her.

“I think I’m losing my mind, Cheryl,” he said quietly before turning to look at the clouds again. “I quite literally feel like I’m losing control of everything and it’s not a good feeling.”

“Ahhh the Shadow Thief isn’t made of stone,” she said with a soft laugh. “I was wondering when you were going to crack. Under the circumstances, you’ve been doing pretty good, I’d say.”

“Yeah,” he said with a harsh laugh. “I’m just a prime example of self control.”

“What’s going on that makes you think you’re losing it?” she asked, giving his shoulder a rub.

“You mean aside from punching my dad, which granted, he deserved, but yesterday I punched Reggie for no reason except that I was pissed off and furious over what Jellybean told us…and then..”

“Then?”

“I blurted out to Betty that Chic was a sex trafficker and then yelled at her that I didn’t want her fucking apology and basically sent her running to her room in tears.”

“Wow,” Cheryl breathed, brushing her red locks over her shoulder. “How did she react?”

“That’s the thing,” Jughead said, sitting up and looking at her in confusion. “She didn’t react. She just asked if she could get me anything and when I asked her this morning if what I said upset her and if she remembered what I said, she recalled me saying something completely different, as if I hadn’t mentioned anything at all.” Cheryl said nothing for a while, seeming lost in thought and then she sat back, stretching her legs to rest on the fire table next to his.

“Do you remember what I was like when The Serpents found me?” she asked quietly.

“Yeah, scared, hungry, screaming. Took forever to convince you that we weren’t going to hurt you.”

“Took longer for me to believe that then it did Betty,” she said with a laugh.

“Well, you were just a kid,” Jughead shrugged.

“So were you and so was she in a way. She hadn’t had the chance yet to become aware and grow into her womanhood. It didn’t take her long though. Betty’s a fighter.”

“Yeah she is, so explain then why she won’t acknowledge what her brother is doing?” Jughead sighed.

“Because she isn’t hearing it,” Cheryl explained. Jughead looked at her.

“What?”

“Do you remember back then how I would shut out everything that was said to me that made me upset or in some way made me think of my father or the abuse I suffered? It was literally like my brain protected me from hearing anything that could possibly hurt me and it used to baffle everyone when I’d forget entire conversations and have no recollection of things that were said to me. It was only when I started therapy that I learned how to deal with pain when it came and how to get through it without blocking it out.”

“How is it even possible that she’s doing that? I mean, I know she’s technically not _fine_ with her having nightmares and all, but to just completely block things?”

“She probably started doing it while she was a prisoner. A way to deal with it is to just make your mind go somewhere else and it passes quicker that way. You get so good at it that your mind just does it without you even being aware of it after a while,” Cheryl said softly. “Jughead, there is a good possibility that Betty does know what her brother does and that she does know what happened to her sister, she’s just blocking it so she doesn’t completely fall apart.”

“She wants to talk to a therapist,” he said.

“Yes, Toni told me and it’s a good idea. I’ll send mine by to visit her in a couple of days.” Jughead just nodded and stared out over the city.

“So, do you think her being strong is real then? Or the fact that she….well, when we’re together she’s always looking at me and….”

“Are you asking if I think her liking you and having an obvious attraction to you is real?” Cheryl asked with a laugh. “Jughead, just because her mind is blocking out awful things, doesn’t mean she isn’t fully aware of what she’s feeling and the choices she’s making. She’s still strong and smart and if she wasn’t honestly attracted to you, she wouldn’t pretend to be.”

“So, there’s no way she could just be looking for something to comfort her, to help her forget.”

“What’s been going on between you two besides the sleeping together?” Cheryl asked slowly. Jughead leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, his leg bouncing nervously.

“We…we’ve been kissing….” He said quietly.

“Wow,” she smiled. “This is new information. Are you asking if I think she’s using you as a distraction so she doesn’t have to deal with what she’s going through?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Would it matter?”

“Of course it would matter,” Jughead snapped.

“Why?”

“Because she’s….she’s so innocent and pure, I would hate for her to just throw all that away as a distraction,” he explained.

“Always the noble one,” Cheryl laughed with a roll of her eyes. “Jughead, whatever she’s feeling for you, it has nothing to do with her trying to distract herself and everything to do with her suddenly being extremely aware that she’s a woman and has yet to experience things with a man. It’s exciting, it’s new, you’re extremely good looking and she likes you. That’s a deadly combination for any woman, even an innocent one. I remember when I was still blocking things to not feel anything and yet, when I saw Toni the first time, all I wanted to do was get to know her and kiss her and climb all over her…”

“Okay, you can keep that information to yourself,” Jughead sighed.

“And I was only 16,” Cheryl laughed. “Imagine your sexuality coming awake again at 21, when you see a hot guy walking around the hall at night, not wearing a shirt.”

“What?” Jughead asked in confusion, looking at her like he thought she was nuts.

“Well, if I remember correctly, she told me and Toni that’s when her lady parts started tingling at the sight of you,” Cheryl said with a smirk.

“Jesus Christ,” Jughead huffed. “Sometimes, Cheryl, it’s okay to just not say anything.”

“Tell me Jughead, “ the red head asked curiously. “What do you feel when you think about Betty or when you look at her?”

“She’s nice, she deserves the world and she deserves better than all this.”

“That’s what you feel when you look at Betty?” Cheryl started laughing and Jughead glared at her. “Okay, different question then. What do you feel when you’re kissing her? What makes you want to kiss her?”

“Things I shouldn’t be thinking, or feeling,” he said, clearly frustrated. “All I really want to do is protect her, to take care of her. With everything going on, almost losing Jellybean, trying to find this bastard, dealing with my father, I shouldn’t even be anywhere near her if I have any thoughts past that! She deserves better than this shit.”

She sighed and stood, placing her finger under his chin and lifting his head so she could look at him. “I think, Jughead, that Betty isn’t the only one blocking things,” she said softly, a knowing look in her eyes. He said nothing and she winked and leaned down and kissed the top of his head. “You’re a good man, Jug, maybe it’s time you let your heart have a say and you might just find the strength to hold everything together.” With that, she turned and headed back into the building. 

Jughead sat back in his seat and let another cigarette. He had no idea how to proceed from here. If Betty was suppressing and blocking out painful truths, should he be indulging in kisses with her, even if she did want them? It was very obvious that she wanted him, hell, he wanted her too but he wasn’t about to go there. The problem was, he was like a moth to a flame when it came to her. He just couldn’t help himself and that was the most perplexing thing of all. He had known her a month and he wanted her more than he’d ever wanted anything in his life and she was his for the taking. He knew that and she knew that. 

He let out a long breath and steeled himself. If there was something he was determined to gain control of, it was his hormones around her. Even if it killed him.

 

 

Chic Cooper sat at the desk in the current _safe house_ he was in and wiped the sweat off his forehead, staring at his phone that was once again ringing. He knew who it was and he had no desire to answer it. It had been a month since Betty disappeared and the man he’d sold her to was losing his patience. He had already paid his fee and not having what he paid for was making the man angry. Chic was well aware that if they hadn’t had such a great business relationship that spanned 5 years already, he’d already be dead.

“What’s got you looking so glum,” Penny laughed as she walked into the room. Chic glared at her, not in the mood for any of her shit. 

“Are you seriously asking me that?” he snapped.

“Well,” she said with a leering grin as she came around the desk and straddled his lap, moving not so subtly against him. “I have something that might cheer you up.”

“I’m not in the mood for a fuck, Penny,” he grumbled. 

“Oh, you will be,” she giggled, which to him sounded more like a cat dying, but he wasn’t about to tell her that. “Seems, we got ourselves a little tip on this Shadow Thief you’ve been looking for.” Chic looked at her in surprise and she held up a paper. He reached for it and she moved it back.

“Ah ah, what will I get for this information?” she asked gleefully.

“I’ll fuck you any way you want,” he promised and her eyes darkened with lust. 

“The man you’re looking for is Jughead Jones,” she said with an evil grin.

“Who the fuck is Jughead Jones?”

“Well, as we know, it’s his sister we dumped in the river and somehow, he figured out who you were and where one of your safe houses was and now he’s got your sister,” she explained. “He’s also the leader of the Serpents, a gang that used to run guns and drugs on the lower east side and since this man took over for his father, he’s turned the gang into thieves and they no longer do the dirty shit, they go after high rollers and rich folk and apparently, they are filthy stinking rich themselves, as a result. He’s also working with the FBI to find you.”

“How the fuck did you get this info? And where do I find him?” he asked suspiciously. 

“An anonymous phone call to one of your cronies,” she smiled. “There wasn’t any information on where to find this Jughead Jones, but I suspect the information might come at some point. The tipper will also reveal himself once this is all over and Jones is dead to collect his reward.” Chic let out a laugh.

“Yeah, like that’s going to happen. Why do they always think they’ll get their reward? And why the fuck would the FBI work with a thief.”

“Guess they want to catch you more than they want to catch him?” Penny offered as she rubbed herself against him. She had pegged him right and knew exactly what turned him on. This information had him sprouting an erection faster than she could. “Also,” she said in excitement. “There is a picture.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone and Chic grabbed it and stared at it. 

The man in the picture looked serious and like he didn’t take shit from nobody. He was scowling, standing beside a red Porsche, dressed all in black, right down to his leather jacket and jet black hair. A slight shiver went through him and he realized that this wouldn’t be an easy target and he better have his shit together when he went after him because this man could probably break him in half if he wanted to.

“Isn’t he beautiful,” Penny purred in his ear, her hand undoing his pants and reaching inside to grab him in a painful grip. He hissed in pleasure, his own hand moving up her shirt to twist her breast, a move that had her grunting like an animal in heat. “Maybe, before we kill him, we can fuck him together,” she suggested as she licked his ear before biting down. He went rock hard at the thought. 

Chic had found out very quickly that Penny had a sick and twisted appetite and the more depraved their sex was, the harder she fucked. Who knew that grabbing a woman in a parking lot would bring him such a treasure? A woman as sadistic and twisted as he was. He ended up fucking her bent over the desk, one hand pulling harshly on her hair, the other, his fingers shoved in her mouth and damn near choking down her throat, exactly how she liked it. It was tame by their standards but both so worked up by their sick fantasy, they had no time for anything more and their animal grunts could be heard by the men in the other room, who came to the door to watch, another Chic and Penny favorite. It was a very satisfying 5 minutes.

 

 

“Well, it’s about time you came to visit me again,” Pop said with a happy smile when he opened the door to find Betty standing there. “Please, lovely, come in.” She smiled and followed him inside and walked over to the bird cage, holding her hand out for the blue bird that she had come to love. 

“Hi Pop,” she said warmly, sitting on the chair with the little bird on her hand.

“She likes you,” Pop said with a smile as he took his seat. “How are you dear?”

“I’m doing good,” Betty said with a soft smile. “How are you? I don’t ever see you around the building.”

“Ahhh my tired old bones like to sit in this chair. I don’t go out much anymore.”

“Oh Pop, you’re not that old! What are you? 70ish?”

“72,” the man laughed. “And I've lived enough live and run around enough in my days. Now I just want to sit in my chair."

"How old were you when you had FP?" she asked.

"Forsythe was born when I was 22 and he had Jughead when he was 24. It’s about time Jughead had some babies as well.”

“I hope you don’t expect me to give him some,” Betty said with a raised eyebrow.

“Why not?” he huffed. “You’re old enough.” She gaped at him and he threw his head back and laughed, slapping his knee in amusement. “Oh girlie, you should see the look on your face,” he exclaimed.

“You’re always teasing,” Betty laughed. “One day you’re going to be serious and I won’t believe you.” Pop just winked at her and then his face did in fact turn serious.

“I want to apologize for my son’s behavior the other day. He should not have said those things to you and I didn’t raise him that way.”

“I know, Pop. It’s alright.”

“No, it certainly isn’t alright and I gave him a piece of my mind! Jughead as well,” Pop informed her.

“Jughead? Why Jughead?” Betty asked in surprise.

“Because he should keep his wits about him,” the old man explained. “A good leader doesn’t lash out and punch people just because they upset him.”

“Even when defending a woman’s honor?” she asked curiously. “How would you have handled it.” Pop sat back, completely surprised by her question. 

“Well,” he said slowly, taking a moment to think. “I guess I’d….well, I’d probably punch him,” he sighed and Betty grinned. “You’re a breath of fresh air, Miss Betty,” Pop said with a laugh. “Calling an old man on his bullshit.” She let out a giggle and he leaned forward with a twinkle in his eye. “May I tell you a secret?” he asked.

“You’d trust me with a secret?” she asked curiously.

“I don’t think you’ll be telling this one.”

“Alright, lay it on me.”

“You’re the most perfect match for my grandson that I’ve ever seen,” he stated. “Actually, the only match I’ve ever seen.” Betty stared at him in shock and shook her head.

“Ummm…I don’t think that’s going to happen,” she said slowly. “He’s pretty set in his single ways and I’m not looking to be anybody’s match.”

“Is that right?” he smirked. “You find my grandson handsome?”

“What does that have to do with anything?” she wondered. 

“Do you think he’s a good man? Does he make you feel safe? Do you like him?”

“Yes, to all of the above,” Betty said slowly.

“In my day, if a person felt all of that, love wasn’t far behind,” Pop smiled.

“Okay, that’s a pretty grand assumption from three points,” Betty sighed. “Besides, he doesn’t do relationships. He’s been pretty clear on that.”

“Jughead never used to do a lot of things. Like punching his father for insulting a woman he liked,” Pop winked.

“You stop it,” Betty laughed. “You’re nothing but a trouble maker!”

“Maybe, but you like me anyway.”

“And by your logic, I’m two points away from being in love with you,” she said with a roll of her eyes. Pop threw his head back and laughed until tears filled his eyes. Betty giggled and put the bird back in the cage and watched as it hopped around. 

“You remind me of my sweet wife. She was a firecracker, just like you, God rest her soul. She would have loved you.”

“Has she been gone long?” Betty asked softly.

“10 years now,” Pop said quietly, his eyes taking on a far away look. She took his hand and he smiled at her. “We’ve both lost people we love, yes?” 

“Yeah, seems so,” she whispered. 

“You have nobody,” he said sadly. 

“It feels that way,” Betty said, lowering her eyes. “But my sister is out there somewhere.”

“She is? Where is she?”

“I..I don’t know. She left one day, escaped, I guess.”

“Why didn’t she take you with, or why didn’t you try together?” Pop asked slowly.

“I don’t know,” Betty said, her chin trembling. “I don’t like to think about it,” she admitted.

“You know, you have family here now. The Serpents, Jughead, Cheryl and Toni. We’ve all welcomed you and we’ll take care of you,” Pop assured her.

“Thank you,” Betty smiled. “It’s nice to belong somewhere, even if for only a while.”

“Betty honey, you can belong here as long as you want,” he insisted, squeezing her hand.

 

 

Jughead was just finishing up helping his best friend replace the glass behind the safe door that he had once again broke trying to drill when Archie’s phone rang. He stepped back and answered and then looked at Jughead who paused at his confusion.

“What?” he asked when Archie hung up.

“That was Reggie. He said he needs to see us immediately.”

“Now?” Jughead asked with a frown. He looked at his watch and saw it was coming up on two in the afternoon. “I promised Betty we’d go for a ride today.” Archie stared at him in surprise.

“You’re leaving the property?”

“Yeah, she’s going a bit stir crazy,” Jughead shrugged as he put in the last piece to hold the door together. “Figured I’d take her out for a few hours.” He squatted down and made sure the bottom was tight as well.

“How’s it going?” Archie asked casually. “With you two, I mean.” Jughead looked up at him with a sigh.

“It’s fine.”

“How fine?”

“Can we not do this right now?” Jughead asked as he pulled himself up.

“What are we doing?” Archie laughed. “I’m just asking how things are going with Betty. The fact that you’re getting so defensive and irritated is telling though,” he grinned.

“Just stop.”

“You know, you keep saying that and I don’t really understand why,” Archie said with a tilt of his head. “So you like her; what’s the big deal? I mean, you don’t actually think you’ll be able to get all the way through life without falling for someone, do you?” he laughed. “I really don’t care how dead set against love you are, Jug, one day it’s going to hit you like a freight train.”

“Let’s go,” Jughead snapped, heading for the door. Archie smirked and followed him. His reactions were very telling indeed.

 

 

“So, what’s the deal Reggie, it’s Sunday,” Jughead asked when the man climbed in the back seat of their car.

“What, you missing church?” Reggie asked with a laugh.

“You missing my fist?” Jughead snapped back. “Why are we here?”

“Chic knows who you are.” Archie turned in surprise and looked at Reggie.

“Explain what that means. As in, he’s figuring out the Shadow Thief is someone he can’t catch? Or…..what?”

“He knows your name.”

“Which name?” Jughead asked, turning in his seat. “I have like 5.”

“He knows the Shadow Thief is Jughead Jones.” Archie started laughing and then it trailed off when he saw that Reggie was serious.

“Nobody but the Serpents and the FBI knows Jughead’s fucking real name. How did Chic get it?” he asked in shock. He looked at Jughead and saw he was just as stupefied.

“He got an anonymous tip,” Reggie explained.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Jughead growled. “My god damned name hasn’t been on a single legal document of any kind in 6 years. I don’t have any ID of any kind under that name. Jughead Jones is a ghost. I don’t exist! Who the fuck knows I’m Jughead Jones?”

“Well, like Archie said, The Serpents and the feds,” Reggie shrugged. Jughead looked at Archie, his face furious.

“What do you think?” he asked angrily.

“No way it’s a Serpent Jug,” Archie insisted. “No fucking way.”

“You think the feds have a mole?” Jughead asked.

“We’ve seen the names on the god damned list Jughead, do you really think these sick bastards don’t have someone in the FBI?” 

“What else do they have on me?” Jughead asked Reggie.

“The info he got was how the Serpents used to run guns and drugs and how you took them into stealing instead. He also knows you’re working with the FBI,” Reggie explained.

“Jesus Christ!” Jughead snapped, slamming the dash with his fist. 

“He also has your picture.”

“Does he know where to find me?” 

“Nope. That information wasn’t provided,” Reggie shrugged. “But you can bet that everyone is now out in full force looking. I don’t get why you’re upset? I mean, I called you because I figured you’d need a heads up but didn’t you want him to find out about you?”

“No, he was supposed to go crazy looking and then make a fucking mistake. Hell, even if he did get into our underground of thieves, they only have some of my fake names. No way in hell should he know the name Jughead Jones,” Jughead explained.

“Well, someone knows who you are and that someone wants you taken care of. What do you want me to do now?” Reggie asked.

“Just keep an eye out and let us know if they get anywhere and if they figure out where the Serpents are, you let us know immediately. Not even people who knew the Serpents under my dad know where we are, so if Chic finds out, we definitely have a problem.”

“I’ll let you know,” Reggie said quickly. 

“Thanks Reg,” Archie said as the man left the car. They watched him hurry down the street and Archie let out a long sigh. “What do you think?” he asked quietly.

“I have no fucking idea,” Jughead muttered. “Do we have a traitor? Or does the FBI have a mole or whatever the fuck you would call that.”

“Should we talk to the Serpents? See if anybody looks guilty?” 

“No, I don’t want them to know we know.”

“Well, think of it this way; if we have a traitor, wouldn’t they give up Reggie as well?”

“You would think, although not every Serpent knows about Reggie. The day we had him in the meeting room, not everyone was there,” Jughead remembered.

“Notably, your father and Tall Boy,” Archie said with a grimace.

“You think either would do something like that? I mean, I know they aren’t my biggest fans, but why would they jeopardize the life they have here? Have either ever complained about their cushy station in life?” Jughead asked. Archie leaned his head back against the seat and pulled out a cigarette and handing the pack to Jughead who took one as well.

“I don’t know man but if it’s the feds, that’s even fucking worse. We’re all dead then.”

Jughead lit his smoke and took a long drag as Archie did the same before starting the car and pulling into the street.

“Up the security at the compound. I want 24 hour shifts and nobody gets in without my permission and I want to know where everyone is going when they leave,” Jughead ordered.

“You got it,” Archie nodded as they headed toward home. “You probably should stay close to home with Betty,” he suggested.

“No,” Jughead sighed. “I promised she could go out and we’re going at least once.”

 

 

Betty was sitting on the couch watching TV when Jughead walked into the apartment. She hadn’t seen him since the morning when she had woken again after accidently falling back to sleep while he made her breakfast. They had eaten the cold food while watching the news and then he’d headed to work with Archie.

“Hi,” she said with a bright smile and then frowned when she noticed his scowl. Not that that was anything new with him, but he had left in a good mood and it was Sunday, a pretty lazy day in Serpent life and she wondered what had mucked that up. “Something wrong?” 

“Nope,” Jughead said, replacing his scowl with a smile. “Let me grab a couple things and we’ll head out.”

“Head out?” Betty asked, confused.

“You still want to go for a ride?” he asked when her question paused him.

“Oh,” she exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “I forgot! Let me just change.” Betty ran into her room and looked at the clothes from Cheryl and Toni and since it was such a beautiful day and she wasn’t skin and bones anymore, she was a little more confident showing her legs and she pulled on a pair of denim cut offs that fit her from Toni and a white ruffled tank top that sat just above the waist band of the shorts. She pulled her hair up in a messy bun and looked in the mirror. She was finally starting to like what was looking back at her and she had to admit, that even though she was still fairly thin, not seeing pronounced bones was nice. She wondered if Jughead would like what she was wearing. Betty bit her lip and smiled into the mirror. She really hoped he did.

Walking back into the apartment, she found him waiting by the island, scrolling his phone. He hand changed from his black jeans into dark blue ones and a dark blue t-shirt with an S on it. He looked up when she entered and stared at her for a moment, and it looked to Betty like he was forcing himself to keep looking at her face and she did her best work to not giggle.

“You look nice,” he said quickly, picking up his wallet. “Shall we?”

“We shall!” she said excitedly and followed him out of the apartment. Once in the elevator she watched as he pushed the button that had a G on it. “You know, when I first got in this elevator, I thought G meant ground floor and when I was going to push it, Cheryl told me I had to push 1. So what’s G?” Betty asked.

“Garage,” Jughead smiled.

“Oh, right” she exclaimed, rolling her eyes at herself. “I just figured all the cars were outside or something.”

“Well, there is a garage, a rather large garage and it’s underground,” he explained.

“Yes, that makes sense,” she laughed. The elevator stopped and opened and they stepped out and Betty gasped in surprise. “Holy shit!” 

The _garage_ was enormous, running the entire length of the building and it was filled with luxury vehicles. Betty was sure there wasn’t a car, truck or SUV in the place that didn’t cost a pile of money. She walked slowly toward a silver corvette and ran her hand along the edge of the hood. She turned and looked at Jughead and he was standing with his hands in his pockets, a smile on his face. She kept walking toward a brightly lit area and found herself in a mechanical shop where a couple of guys were working on a red Porsche Cayenne. They were looking at something under the hood and she walked over and let out a breathe at the beauty in front of her.

“This is a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 diesel engine,” she breathed and the two men straightened and looked at her in surprise. “What is that, at least 240 horses?”

“You know engines,” Jughead said with a raised eyebrow before a grin broke across his face. 

“What’s the torque on this?” she asked with a grin of her own. “360? 380?”

“This baby has a good healthy 406 pounds of torque,” he replied, arms folded across his chest, a twinkling challenge in his eye. 

“Hmmmmm, interesting,” she said with her own twinkle. “Zero to 60 in 8?”

“7.2,” Jughead chuckled. “How do you know engines?” Betty smiled and walked around the vehicle, her fingers trailing along the panel.

“I used to love to tinker on cars with my dad. I had even dreamed of owning my own shop one day. Either that or be a journalist,” she laughed. “I know, vastly different but I loved both those things. When Chic locked me up, I demanded something to read and they brought me an entire box of car magazines, thinking they were being funny and why would a chick want to read car mags. They kept waiting for me to demand glamour and vogue and I devoured the car mags, much to their annoyance.” 

Jughead let out a laugh as he followed her around while she looked at cars. It was like he didn’t have a chance at all, resisting her. She was kind, beautiful, sassy, smart as a whip, and now she was a god damned car babe grease monkey. He didn’t think he’d ever met anyone hotter in his entire life. She paused and her eyes roamed over the cars and she turned to look at him again.

“How the hell much money do you Serpents have anyway?” she asked.

“Enough,” he winked.

“Seriously Jug,” she said slowly. “Do you guys rob banks?”

“No, we rob the rich and we only steal what’s insured.”

“So, the insurance companies get stolen from then, essentially,” Betty noted.

“You’re concerned about insurance companies?” Jughead laughed. Betty gave him a sly _shame on you_ look and glanced around the garage.

“Are there any cars here that aren’t stolen?” she asked.

“Most of them,” he insisted. “Any cars we steal are usually ordered by someone and we just move them through. So, pick one,” he said with a wave of his hand. “The ones on the left side are all personal vehicles of Serpents, the ones on the right are shared, I guess you could say. Certain Serpents are allowed to take them for a spin. Which would you like to ride in?” She looked around and grinned, walking over to the silver Corvette. 

“Nice,” he smiled and went to a lock box to grab the keys. He unlocked it and opened the door for her and she smiled her thanks and lowered herself in. Once he had the door closed, he came around the other side and got in and Betty decided he was made for the car. His long lean body looked like it was made for the leather seat as he relaxed back into it and she suddenly had a mad urge to climb over the gear shift, straddle his lap and shove her tongue in his mouth.

“God, you’re hot,” she blurted without a second thought. Jughead’s hand paused half way to the ignition and he looked at her with a raised eyebrow. Betty flushed red and sat back in her seat and rolled her eyes at his smirk. “Shut up,” she muttered. He shocked her then by wrapping his hand around the back of her neck and pulling her close, planting his mouth on hers and kissing the breath right out of her. When he pulled back she was gripping his arm, trying to stop the spinning. “Wow,” she gasped. “Now you’re mauling me?” 

“I don’t hear you complaining.”

“I would never complain about that,” she told him seriously. He held her gaze for a moment, his eyes dropping to her mouth before he started the car and they headed for the exit. Betty fastened her seat belt in excitement as Jughead pulled the car up the ramp and out of the garage into the sunlight. He opened the windows and she leaned back and smiled as he sped through the streets.

She watched the city as they drove, feeling familiar and also strange with it. There were definitely new things, like ads she didn’t recognize the products of, new stores, but mostly, there was just so much around her and after being locked away for so long, she felt almost overwhelmed.

“Anywhere you want to go?” Jughead asked after a while. 

“I don’t know,” she shrugged. “Getting right out of the city would be nice but that would take way too long.”

“Is there somewhere you need to be?” he asked with a smile. She shook her head and relaxed back in her seat as he changed directions to head out instead of in. She watched him, the way his leg moved on the peddles, the way the muscle on his arms flexed when he shifted, the way the wind shifted his hair as it blew through the open window. 

“Thank you, Jughead,” Betty said softly. He smiled and reached over, taking her hand and lacing his fingers through hers. They drove for a while and she was busy taking in everything around her and when she noticed where they were, she sat up in excitement. Jughead had taken her to the beach. It seemed rather deserted for such a beautiful day and when he parked the car, she jumped out and hurried down the walk to the sand, kicking off her flats and letting her toes sink into it. She waited for Jughead to catch up and then walked down to the water and he held back while she waded in, letting the cold water wash over her feet.

She stood and tilted her head back, closing her eyes and enjoying the salty air, feeling freer than she had in years.

“You hungry?” Jughead asked behind her and she turned and smiled.

“Yes, I am.” 

“Come on,” he said, holding out his hand. She took it and he started walking down the beach, her fingers entwined with his. It appeared that Jughead was a hand holder and she wondered if he even knew that about himself.

“Do you come here a lot?” she asked when they’d walked a ways. 

“Not really,” he shrugged. “My sister loves the beach and always insisted that I take her, so that’s why I’d come. This one was her favorite.” Betty didn’t say anything, feeling surprised that he was sharing something so personal. “There’s a great burger shack just up ahead and we always stop there for a bite because they have the best burgers in the city,” he said with a smile. 

“Sounds amazing,” Betty said softly. “I’m sure she can’t wait to come back here when she’s all better so she can have one.”

“Yeah, I guess Pea will be the one taking her from now on,” Jughead chuckled. 

“Are they a couple?” she asked in surprise. 

“They are,” he nodded, shifting directions and heading up towards the road where a burger shack stood facing the water. “I was a little slow on the uptake as to how serious they were and actually expected them to stay apart until she finished school but this whole thing has brought their relationship into full light,” he sighed. “They’ve been in love for quite some time, it seems.”

“Well, that’s good, right? Do you approve?”

“Now that I’m aware and have my head out of my ass? Yeah, I approve,” he laughed. They reached the burger shack and Jughead got her to sit at a table. “I’ll order for you because you have to try my favorite,” he said with a wink. She watched him chat with the man behind the counter and order their food and then he headed back and sat across from her.

“Did I hear that man call you Logan?” she asked in confusion. 

“Logan James at your service,” he said with a smile.

“I don’t understand.”

“I don’t use my real name anywhere or on anything. None of the Serpents do. It keeps us safe. If people go chasing for the Shadow Thief and they happen to have one of my aliases, well, they won’t find anybody,” he explained. “The only people that know my real name are people who matter.”

_People who matter._

“You told me your real name the day after we met,” she said slowly.

“Well, then I guess that means _you matter_.”

Betty didn’t really know what to make of that. She might believe that she mattered now, after being with them a month, but why would she have mattered then? She decided it was probably best not to press for an answer he probably wouldn’t have anyway and she looked out over the water again at the boats going by.

“Have you ever been on a boat?” she asked. He watched her in amusement.

“I own one.”

“You do?” she exclaimed. “Is it big?”

“It’s a cabin cruiser,” he explained. “I keep it parked in a boat storage facility when I’m not using it.”

“I’ve never been on a boat. Isn’t that weird? I grew up in New York and lived near the water and I’ve never been on a boat. My mother was always terrified of water and wouldn’t let us near it. My dad taught me to swim in secret. She died never knowing that I could swim,” Betty trialed off sadly.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly. “Did you have a good childhood?”

“I did,” Betty nodded. “I mean, it wasn’t perfect but I really had nothing to complain about except strict parents and a mother who was slightly overbearing, but for the most part, it was good. Did you?” Jughead laughed and leaned back when their food was brought to the table. She thanked the server and looked back at Jughead.

“No, I didn’t have a good childhood and it’s not something I want to ruin a good burger with,” he said, dismissing the topic. Betty said nothing and took a bite of her burger.

“Oh my god,” she gasped around the bite. “This is so good.” Jughead grinned and they basically wolfed down their food and he was once again impressed just how much and how fast she could eat. It made his heart ache, thinking of how hungry she must have been for so long. They made small talk while they finished and soon enough, they were walking back down the beach toward the car. Once they were at their original spot, Jughead sat down in the sand and lit a cigarette, resting his forearms on his knees as he relaxed.

“How long do you think you’ll do what you do?” Betty asked as she sat down next to him.

“What? Thievery?” he joked.

“Yeah. Are you going to be trying to break in safes when you’re 50?”

“Why not?” he smiled. “It’s a good living.”

“It’s not exactly an honest living,” Betty chided. He shrugged and took another drag.

“Does it make you feel any better if I told you that everyone we’ve robbed have been assholes who got rich off the sweat and misery of others. People who embezzle, cheat, and swindle others. Sweat shop owners, wall street insider traders, drug kings, arms dealers.”

“So, it’s like you’re doing a service,” Betty smiled.

“Exactly,” he grinned. “We also donate a lot. Why, just last week the hospital Jellybean is in got another sizable donation that will help them buy new equipment.”

“So a modern day Robin Hood?” she asked.

“Nah,” Jughead shrugged. “Just a guy trying to tip the scales in the other direction a little.”

“Why don’t you get along with your father?”

“When I took over the Serpents, I celebrated by lighting his stash of drugs and guns on fire,” Jughead laughed.

“Holy shit,” she breathed. “What did he do?”

“He held the gun I missed to my forehead. I honestly thought I was a dead man. I felt the rage I saw in his eyes in my bones but I refused to show him I was afraid and I just told him to do it.” 

“Oh my god,” Betty gasped. 

“He didn’t but he did crack me over the head with it and I woke up an hour later with the worst fucking headache i've ever had in my life.”

“So what happened then?”

“Nothing,” Jughead said. “I mean, I probably shouldn’t have done it, but I was the new leader and I was making a point. We would no longer run drugs and guns. We did our first heist a month later and made 400k on it and I know he was impressed but he’ll never admit it. He’s been pissed off ever since.” Betty sat straighter and stretched her back and then shifted closer.

“Can I lean on you?” she asked. 

“Sure.” He was surprised when she moved between his legs and leaned back against his chest. He snuffed his cigarette in the sand and put the butt back into the empty pack he held and leaned back on his hands as she relaxed against him.

“My brother’s been angry ever since I’ve met him,” Betty said quietly and she felt Jughead go completely still.

“What do you mean, since you met him.”

“My mom got pregnant in high school by another boy and she gave him up for adoption. I found him for her when I was 15 and she welcomed him right into our home and even though I’m the one who went looking for him, he always scared me. He had this look in his eyes and the way he would watch me….” She shivered and Jughead sat up and wrapped an arm around her waist, hugging her close. “When my parents died a year later and I found out he was our guardian, I was so scared. Seems like my instincts were right and I had reason to be afraid.”

“You’re so strong Betty,” Jughead murmured against her ear. “After everything you’ve been through.”

“I had to be,” she whispered. “My mother always drilled it into me. Coopers don’t show fear. Coopers don’t cower. Coopers don’t take any crap from anyone! I figured, she meant even from other Coopers.”

“What was your mother’s maiden name?”

“Smith.”

“Then he’s Chic Smith, and he’s not a Cooper.”

“I know, but he took our name because he wanted our life.” Betty could feel herself trembling and Jughead kissed her temple.

“Don’t think about him,” he said softly. She nodded and gripped his arm.

“Jughead?”

“Hmmm?” 

“Do you ever wish you were someone else?” She asked.

“I’m 5 someone elses,” he said with a smile.

“You know what I mean,” she whispered. “Do you ever feel trapped? By your family? Your legacy? Like you had no choice but to do this life?”

“No, I don’t. I could have left. I could have let my father keep leading. I cared about my friends, my family and I wanted something better for them. We’re still criminals, yes, but at least we aren’t doing anything that could hurt or kill innocent people.” Betty turned her head to look at him and he held her gaze.

“You’re a good man, Jughead Jones,” she whispered.

“Only according to some,” he replied. She leaned in and kissed him softly and he returned it immediately, his hand coming up to cup her cheek. It was slow and lazy and when she pressed against him, he fell back on the sand and she straddled his waist, her hands sinking into the sand beside his head. Jughead’s hands slid up the back of her thighs and she whimpered into his mouth, his touch setting her skin on fire. “Nice shorts,” he whispered against her lips. 

“How long have you been wanting to say that?” she giggled, pressing a kiss to his cheek. 

“Since you came out of your room with a smirk and a glint in your eye,” he admitted. Betty lifted her head and bit her lip as she stared down at him. “You put those on to tease me.”

“Did i?” she asked with a grin.

“Yes, you did,” he insisted, his hands moving over her hips and slipping under her shirt to touch the skin of her back. She kissed him again and his arms came around her, pulling her flush against him. The kiss deepened as Jughead slid his tongue across her lip and she opened, letting him in and she moaned when he flicked teasingly against hers. She wanted more and he held off, teasing and nibbling at her mouth.

“Now who’s teasing?” she gasped in frustration, moving against him and feeling his body start to harden. Jughead grinned against her mouth and his hand moved up into her hair and he took her mouth in a proper kiss.

“This is a fucking public beach assholes, get a room.”

The irritated shout came from somewhere to their left and Betty flushed red and giggled nervously when Jughead pulled back. He had a smirk on his face that made her roll her eyes. 

“I think I’m ready to go back now,” she said shakily, pushing herself off him and keeping her gaze away from whoever yelled at them. They jumped up and he grabbed his empty cigarette pack and tossed it in the trash as they headed back to the car. They made idle chit chat on the way back to the Serpent building and by the time they arrived, it was getting dark. They rode the elevator in silence and once inside the apartment, Betty stood watching him. He looked like he was mulling over something.

“Jug, are you…” her voice trailed off as he moved over to her, backing her against the wall. Her heart started slamming in her chest when his hand came to rest against he wall by her head, the other one settling on her waist. He dipped his head and brushed his lips across her and her hands slowly moved up his front, curling in his t-shirt and clutching it over his chest as she leaned into him, pressing her mouth more firmly against his. He moved again, his entire body brushing against hers, pressing her into the wall. His tongue slid against hers and she moaned, moving again and wrapping her arms around his neck, pressing eagerly against him. “Jug,” she gasped when he pulled away to take a breath.

“Betty,” he murmured, his mouth moving down her neck.

“Take me to bed,” she whispered. Jughead went still against her and he lifted his head and looked at her.

“What?” he asked softly, his eyes searching her face. Betty swallowed, her heart racing and her body aching. She wanted him so bad she could taste it.

“Take me to bed,” she pleaded and she knew that he understood exactly what she was asking for. His eyes were filled with heat and lust, his body tense and wound with tension. He stepped back and she took a breath at the sudden lack of contact. She lifted her hand and he stepped back again. “Jug?”

“No,” he said softly, shaking his head. Then to her utter shock, he turned and left the apartment, slamming the door behind him. She stared in surprise at it and then her eyes narrowed in anger.

“Well,” she huffed. “That was fucking rude!”


	11. No More Running

Jughead came back to the apartment half an hour later after cooling his jets on the roof with a few cigarettes. He realized he’d been an asshole and he hoped she wasn’t too upset. While up there, he’d been trying to figure out a way to tell her that sleeping together wasn’t a good idea and then realized how ridiculous that would sound after they basically maul each other on a regular basis. Did he really expect to just continue that without either of them wanting more?

He was surprised to find Betty’s door to her room closed and he let out a sigh. Walking over he knocked softly, hoping that she was okay. It took her a few moments but when she opened the door he froze in surprise. Oh, Betty was upset alright, but not in the way he thought.

She was livid.

She didn’t say a word and just waited for him to speak. He scratched the back of his neck and cleared his throat.

“I…sorry I ran out like that, I guess that was pretty rude,” he said lamely. She still said nothing. “Are you ready for bed? I can just take a quick shower and we can go to sleep.” 

Silence. 

“Do you want me to join you?” he asked slowly.

“No.”

She slammed the door in his face.

“Fuck,” he muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets and leaning his forehead against the door. After a moment he knocked again. “Betty, come on, please open the door.”

She opened the door.

“Will you let me explain?” he asked softly.

“No.”

This time, the door slamming was followed by the sound of the lock slipping into place. Jughead stepped back in surprise. She locked him out, essentially locking herself in. For the first time in a month, she was so upset that she was locking herself in her room. 

“I’m sorry,” he called out softly, his hand resting on the door. He heard nothing and after a while he turned and leaned back against the door and slid down to the floor. He let out a sigh and leaned his head back, closing his eyes. 10 minutes later, his phone buzzed. He pulled it out of his pocket and frowned at the screen. It was from Cheryl.

_Why is Betty asking to sleep on my couch?_

Jughead scrambled up in surprise and went to the kitchen drawer and rummaged around for the key to Betty’s room. He unlocked the door and found it empty. Turning to look at the exit that led out into the hall, he let out a frustrated sigh and went back to the fridge and grabbed a beer. He downed half of it before slamming it on the counter and storming out of his apartment and banged on the door across the hall. Cheryl opened it and stood blocking his entrance, arms folded across her chest.

“Where is she?” he growled, his eyes scanning the apartment over her head.

“I made her go take a bath. Why the hell is she so pissed off and why doesn’t she want to sleep with you? What did you do now?”

“Nothing,” he muttered and turned to go back to his place.

“Jughead…” He sighed and looked at her. “Stop being an idiot.” 

“Yeah,” he nodded and went into his apartment, closing the door behind him. He took a shower and went to bed. He found himself waking every 10 minutes, reaching for Betty and feeling frustrated and disappointed that she wasn’t there. It was a long fucking night.

 

When Betty woke the next morning after a restless sleep, she found Toni sitting on the coffee table next to the couch she was on, holding a plate of food. She sat up and her stomach growled when she saw the pancakes and bacon. She grabbed the plate and smiled her thanks.

“Coffee?” Cheryl asked, walking over with a cup. 

“Yes please,” Betty said happily, taking it from her and having a sip before placing it on the coffee table so she could eat. After a few bites she put the fork down and sighed. “What?” she muttered as Cheryl and Toni hadn’t moved and were just staring at her.

“Why are you here and why aren’t you in Jughead’s bed kissing him?” Cheryl asked. Betty choked on her piece of bacon.

“What?” she gasped.

“Why didn’t you tell us you were kissing Jughead?” Toni asked in a huff.

“How do you…?”

“Jughead told me,” Cheryl shrugged.

“He did?” Betty asked in surprise. “When? Why would he tell you that?”

“He was asking for my advice about something and it came up,” the red head shrugged. “Now explain.”

“Well, we started kissing…”

“Betty, we’ve established that,” Toni sighed. “What is going on between you two?”

“That’s what started this whole damn mess,” Betty said angrily. “The kisses; they kept getting longer and deeper and, well, sleeping with a man as sexy as Jughead is not a good idea if you’re trying to keep from kissing,” she sighed. 

“Were you trying to keep from kissing him?” Cheryl asked with a grin.

“Not really, but he certainly was, even if he returned every single kiss and initiated some of them and usually they ended because he ordered me to go to sleep,” Betty said with a roll of her eyes. “By the way,” she said to Cheryl. “I told him that you said he doesn’t like to wake up with women and he says you should shut the fuck up.” Cheryl grinned.

“He’s still there in the morning?”

“The last little while.”

“Okay, so now we’ve established you guys are making out and he sleeps all night with you,” Toni spoke. “So why are you here exactly? What happened?”

“I ummm….we were kissing and the previous night things had gotten really heated and we were in our underwear…..and last night, when we got back from our ride……I asked him to take me to bed….” Betty said quietly.

“So?”

“I didn’t mean to sleep…”

“Oh boy,” Cheryl breathed. “What did he do?”

“He said ‘no’ and walked out.”

“Ouch,” Toni winced.

“What the fuck, Jughead,” Cheryl sighed. “He didn’t offer an explanation? Just walked out?”

“Yup, so I proceeded to lock him out of my room and I came over here,” Betty shrugged. Toni laughed.

“Are you okay?” Cheryl asked.

“Yes, I’m fine. I’m just really pissed off. It was rude and after all the kissing we’ve been doing, I’m about tired of him ordering me to sleep or ignoring me or walking away from me. I mean, the way he kisses me? Is he really expecting me to not want more?” Betty fumed. Cheryl let out a sigh and moved to sit next to her on the couch.

“Sweetie, I told you that if you’re thinking of sleeping with Jughead, he might not be interested.”

“Oh, I remember and that was all fine until we started kissing. If he’s not interested in sleeping with me, he shouldn’t be kissing me either.”

“Well, that’s….doesn’t that seem a little….i don’t know….kissing doesn’t always lead to sex,” Toni offered, trying to help.

“Toni,” Betty sighed. “I know I’ve been out of the loop and have literally no experience with men, but you don’t kiss a girl like that without thinking of sex. Things have been getting really intense and the other night we were in our underwear and his mouth was an inch from my nipple. He was on the verge of ripping my panties off.”

“Wow, that….” Toni actually blushed. “You seriously hold nothing back,” she laughed.

“Then he suddenly pulls away and orders me to go to sleep. It’s annoying as fuck. So yesterday, I figured I would just lay all my cards on the table. I was all in. I want him and I told him as much. He walked out.”

“He’s trying to be noble,” Cheryl said softly. 

“Noble?”

“Jughead is determined to protect you and he doesn’t want to take advantage.”

“He’s not taking advantage. I’m basically throwing myself at him all the time. He’s definitely not taking advantage and he knows it.”

“He also really likes you,” Toni said quietly.

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Betty asked, looking between them. “Why would liking me be a deterrent?”

“Because it’s Jughead. He doesn’t do relationships.”

“Well for God’s sake, I’m not asking him for a relationship, I just want to have sex,” Betty retorted. They both looked at her with raised eyebrows and she rolled her eyes. “Okay, I like him and I’m fully and well aware that he doesn’t want anything like that in his life and honestly, I don’t care. When this is all over and my brother is caught, I’m going to go on with my life and I have no idea if I’ll ever even see Jughead again. While I’m here and while he’s in my life, I want to be with him that way.”

“Betty,” Cheryl sighed. “You’re setting yourself up to get hurt.”

“No I’m not,” Betty insisted. “And if we start sleeping together and it ends and it does hurt, so what? I’ve survived worse, I’d get over it.”

“This sounds very clinical and weird,” Toni said with a frown. “Jughead is avoiding sleeping with you because he’s trying to be all noble and its obvious he likes you and he can’t seem to get a clue about that and you’re well aware that you like him and he might hurt you and you don’t care.”

“Well, this might be a way to get Jughead to finally get his head out of his ass,” Cheryl said slowly. “If they end up sleeping together, he’ll realize how much he likes her and…”

“No,” Betty said quickly, cutting her off. “I have no interest in making Jughead see anything and I’m not trying to get in his pants to make him aware he has feelings. I won’t manipulate him that way. I refuse to go into this expecting anything and I won’t ask him for anything either.”

“Well, except his dick,” Toni laughed and Betty flushed red.

“God,” Betty groaned, lowering her head in her hands. “Why does he have to be so hot? And you guys were right, he’s such an amazing kisser; not that I have anyone really to compare him to, but good lord, he makes my entire body ache and tingle. If his kiss can do that, can you imagine what the sex would be like?” she asked. 

“Okay, forget Operation: Get Jughead Laid,” Toni exclaimed. “Now I’m in for Operation: Get Betty Laid!” Cheryl and Betty stared at her and burst into laughter.

“I’m so down for that,” Betty sighed, leaning back on the couch. “But I’m planning on ignoring him for a while. Let him chew on that for a few days. If he doesn’t want things to go further, this should help him right along. He can get me out of his system and we can resume our protector/protectee relationship.”

“What about at night?” Cheryl asked softly. “I heard you last night, tossing and turning. You weren’t sleeping well.”

“Cheryl, I can’t rely on Jughead to help me through things I need to figure out myself and I told him as much the other day. That’s why I want to see a therapist.”

“Understood,” the woman smiled, squeezing her knee. “By the way, one will be coming by tomorrow afternoon, if that works?”

“Thank you,” Betty said softly.

“So really,” Cheryl said softly. “Are you going to hide out here for the next few days?”

“No,” Betty sighed. “I guess I should go back. He’s probably off doing something already anyway.”

“You know what?” Toni said suddenly. “I think you need a spa day. The works. Hair, nails, facial. You need new clothes too. Do you think Jughead would let us leave?” she asked.

“Let us leave?” Cheryl laughed. “He doesn’t own me. But just in case he thinks he does, Betty, finish up, grab something from Toni to wear and let’s get out of here.”

“Are you sure?” Betty asked, biting her lip in concern. “I mean, I don’t want to make him angry.”

“He can yell at me if he’s angry. We’re going and we need to do it sooner rather than later.” Betty smiled and quickly finished her food.

 

“Jug, we have a problem,” Pea said as he stared at his phone. Jughead had given him the rundown of what Reggie had told them and he knew that Jughead preferred they all stayed close to home unless they were going to see Jellybean.

“What?” Jughead sighed, looking up from the files he was looking through of the security for the mansion they would be doing their heist in. 

“Cheryl and Toni just left with Betty.”

“What do you mean, left?”

“Well, I told Johnny down in the garage to let me know if someone is leaving and he just text that the three girls headed out in Cheryl’s BMW.”

“Jesus Christ,” Jughead growled, grabbing for his phone and dialing her number.

“Hello,” she answered cheerfully.

“Where the fuck are you going?” he snapped. “Betty is not to leave the property unless I’m with her!”

“I’m taking her out for a girl’s day. We’ll be back around dinner.”

“Cheryl, get your ass back here. There’s been a bit of a development and I’ve upped the security and it’s not fucking safe.”

“We’ll be fine Jughead,” she insisted and then disconnected the call.

“God dammit,” he snapped, throwing his phone on the table.

“She not listening again?” Pea asked with a smile. 

“Well, this time it involves Betty and I can’t believe she would fucking risk that. I have no idea if the mole is a Serpent or FBI. What if whoever it is, knows Betty just left. What if they inform Chic?” he finished in a yell.

“I told Johnny not to tell anybody anything and just to keep me, you and Archie informed. Archie is in the security room right now, so I think it’s safe to say that nobody knows she left,” Pea said calmly. Jughead grabbed his phone and shot a text off to Cheryl. 

_Chic knows I’m Jughead Jones. We or the FBI has a mole. It’s not safe to be out!”_

She called him immediately.

“Why wouldn’t you tell me this as soon as you knew?” she demanded. “How long have you known?”

“Since yesterday,” Jughead sighed. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I was going to; I just hadn’t gotten around to it yet.”

“What else does he know?” Cheryl asked.

“He knows our history and my name, that’s it.”

“Not where we’re located?”

“It doesn’t look like it,” he sighed. “But Cheryl, I have no idea if we have a mole or if there is one at the FBI. I mean, if they knew you left with Betty, they could send someone after you,” he growled.

“Jughead, I just really want to do this for Betty okay? She needs to get pampered and if you’re concerned then you can send some protection. We’ll be at Adele’s Spa most of the day. Send Fangs,” she said and he swore he could hear the smirk in her voice. Jughead rolled his eyes and disconnected the phone.

“Fangs!” he barked at the man at the other end of the table who was looking over documents. He looked up in question.

“Go to Adele’s Spa and shadow the girls,” Jughead ordered. Fangs nodded and left the room. 

“Wow,” Sweet Pea said with a smile. “Sending Fangs to watch Betty. You trying to prove something to yourself?” Jughead glared at him.

“No. Right now, the only people I trust are you, Archie and Fangs. Did you want to go babysit?”

“Babysit?” Pea laughed. “Oh, I can’t wait to tell Cheryl this.”

“Oh shut the hell up, you know what I mean.”

“You think our lady Serpents need babysitting?” 

“No, I know they can take care of themselves, but I’m not taking any chances here. I have no idea who the mole is, what kind of resources Chic has or what the hell is happening and I’m losing my mind a little,” Jughead said in a rush.

“Well, why don’t you go shadow them yourself?” Pea asked.

“Because Betty doesn’t want me near her at the moment.”

“Why? What did you do now?” 

“Why does everyone keep asking me that?” Jughead grumbled.

“Because it’s a pretty safe assumption that you’re the one fucking up and not her,” Pea laughed. Jughead sat back and ran his hands through his hair.

“Someone explain to me how the hell I became the other half of Betty and always the one getting the gears?”

“Maybe because you’re a possessive asshole to anyone who even looks at her and when you guys are around each you’re eye fucking for the whole world to see?” his friend offered.

“Eye fucking?”

“You two are so hot for each other, it’s kind of pathetic.”

“Look, am I attracted to her? Yes. Am I going to take advantage of _her_ attraction to me? No,” Jughead informed him.

“How is it taking advantage if she clearly wants it?”

“She doesn’t know what the fuck she wants,” Jughead muttered. “She deserves…”

“She deserves better than you, she deserves the world, she’s the queen of the universe….blah fuckitty blah Jughead. You have this version of her in your head that doesn’t match who she actually is. Open your fucking eyes and stop being an idiot,” Pea said with a roll of his eyes.

“I swear to God, if one more person tells me to stop being an idiot…”

“What? You’ll actually stop being one?” Sweet Pea laughed. Jughead shoved his chair back as he stood and stormed from the room.

He spent the day texting Cheryl every half an hour to make sure they were alright and going over security outlines. She sent a picture just to annoy him featuring Betty throwing her head back in laughter with Fangs beside her, laughing as well. If he hadn’t been so fucking annoyed, he might have focused more on how utterly gorgeous she was. He finally relaxed when Cheryl informed him that they were heading home and all was well.

He went to the gym and got in a workout before he headed upstairs. When he walked into the apartment, he was surprised to see Betty standing at the island. She looked amazing and for a moment he could only stare. She was wearing a sundress he had never seen before and her hair, which was usually pretty nice already, seemed to glow like a golden halo around her. She usually wore it up and in truth he had never paid that much attention to it, but seeing it shimmering and hanging to the middle of her back made him want to run his fingers through it. Her face looked different too and if he had to guess, he’d say she got a facial because her skin looked so smooth and soft, he itched to touch her cheek.

“You like nice,” he said softly, walking over to stand across form her. She didn’t say anything and reached for a piece of chicken in the bucket in front of her. They had clearly made a pit stop at KFC before heading home. “May I have a piece?”

“No,” she replied flippantly and proceeded to grab the entire bucket and leave the apartment, slamming the door after her. 

“Seriously?” he yelled after her. She clearly wasn’t going to let this go. “Whatever,” he muttered, pulling his shirt off and heading for the shower.

That night, Betty once again closed the door to her room and he spent another night tossing and turning in his bed and feeling more frustrated than he’d ever felt in his life. 

The next day he was gone from the apartment before she woke and she spent the day visiting Pop, who zeroed in on her exhaustion and she managed to skillfully avoid his questions and that evening, as she sat at the island picking at a pasta dish when he walked in. She barely spared him a glance and he decided he’d had enough.

“Alright,” he huffed. “I’ve had about enough of this.” She raised her eyebrows in a look that he interpreted as _excuse me?_ “Are you seriously going to keep ignoring me just because I wouldn’t sleep with you?” As soon as the question was out of his mouth he realized that had been the completely wrong thing to say.

“Wow, Jughead,” she said with a glare. “Get the hell over yourself.”

“Betty…”

"I get it, you don’t want to sleep with me and had you said that instead of running like a fucking child then maybe I wouldn’t be ignoring you.” She got up to head to her room and he grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. 

“Let me explain,” he demanded. She folded her arms across her chest and waited. “Look, I didn’t walk out because I don’t want to sleep with you,” Jughead started. “I walked out because I do.”

“Clearly.”

“Betty, I’m trying to do the right thing here,” Jughead said firmly. “And this, us ending up in bed together is a bad idea!”

“Why?”

“Because it is,” he sighed. 

“That’s not a reason,” Betty said flatly. “If you don’t want to sleep with me, why do you keep kissing me back? Why do you keep getting into bed with me and staying all night. If you’re waiting for me to have a nightmare, you could do that on the couch.”

“Hey, you said me sleeping with you was helping!”

“Okay, fine, I’ll give you that one, but the kissing? The hands all over? The jealousy if someone even dares look in my direction. None of that makes any sense if you really think this isn’t a good idea.”

“You deserve better than this, Betty,” he sighed.

“Better than what?” she asked, confused.

“Than this,” he snapped, his hand motioning around the place. “Better than me, than the Serpents, than a criminal life.”

“For shit’s sake Jughead, I’m not asking you to marry me, I’m asking you to fuck me.”

“Jesus Christ, do you not have a filter?” he sighed.

“So, Cheryl was right, this is your attempt at being noble,” she laughed.

“Cheryl? Is there anything you don’t fucking tell her?” he said angrily.

“It doesn’t matter what I tell Cheryl,” Betty snapped. “What matters is you constantly shutting down and running away when things get a little heated between us. I honestly don’t see what your issue is. I want this, I think I’ve made that pretty clear and you don’t need to be all noble about it. I know what I want and I know you want it too and I don’t need you to try to talk me out of it.”

“You’re 21, you’re young and you have so much life to live.”

“So do you, for God’s sake, you’re only 26 and you talk like you’re 80.”

“I’ve lived enough life and seen enough shit to last me a lifetime, Betty,” Jughead insisted. “You’re so innocent and so good and you can go on from here and do and be anything you want. You’re far too precious to be someone’s tumble in the sack,” he said harshly. Betty tried not to focus on the fact that he’d just called her precious. “You’re going to go on and figure out what you want to do with life and have an amazing career. You’ll find someone who will love you, you’ll get married and live in a beautiful house with a white picket fence and pets and beautiful babies…”

“Wow, that’s quite the life you have planned for me,” Betty said with a laugh. “Do I get a say in it?”

“I’m trying to do the right thing here!” he yelled.

“I didn’t ask you to do the right thing,” she yelled back. “And why the hell would you assume I want a house with a white picket fence?

“Isn’t that what women want?” 

“What are you, a fucking Victorian?” she snapped.

“What? I have no idea what the means,” Jughead frowned.

“An idiot with ass backward ideas.”

“So if you don’t want the dream with the white picket fence, what do you want?” he asked.

“I have no idea, I have a life time to figure that out. What I want right now is a snake in a high rise but he’s too _noble_ to give me what I want,” Betty said with a roll of her eyes.

“Betty, you don’t know what you want,” Jughead sighed. “You’ve been free for a fucking month and you’re trying to do everything at once and that appears to include losing your virginity. Don’t you want it to mean anything? Don’t you want it to be special?”

“First of all, this isn’t about _losing my virginity_ and second, is that how you lost yours?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. “Did it mean anything to you? Was it with someone special?”

“No,” he sighed. “It wasn’t, but you’re different”

“Why am I different? I want to sleep with you and I honestly have no idea what you have against the idea since it’s pretty obvious that you want to sleep with me too.”

“You’re just different, okay?” he yelled. “You’re beautiful and kind and sweet and you deserve the whole fucking world and I think you’re worth more than just being someone’s fuck buddy!” Betty didn’t say anything, just studied him for a while.

“Did you think that way about the other women you’ve been with?” she asked after a while.

“What? No…”

“Why not? Were they not beautiful and sweet and kind? Why didn’t you care about them just being a fuck buddy?”

“They weren’t virgins who had no idea what they were getting into,” Jughead growled in irritation. “They knew what they were signing up for and it didn’t matter to them.”

“I know what I’m signing up for too and it doesn’t matter to me,” Betty countered. “I honestly don’t understand why it matters so much to you if I just want to have casual sex. I mean, isn’t that how you prefer it?”

“I don’t….that isn’t….” Jughead trailed off, his voice suddenly sounding a little hoarse and she saw him swallow and shift uncomfortably. “I don’t want to do this right now,” he said quietly. 

“Whatever,” she said with an eyeroll and went to her room, although this time, the door remained open.

 

Betty sat on her bed and thought about the ridiculous conversation she had just had with Jughead. Why was he so dead set against her wanting to have casual sex? Not that it would be that casual. She liked him and she wanted this with him and nobody else. Did he know that? Was he concerned that she might be expecting more and he wasn’t able to give it? He wanted it to be special for her and she insisted she didn’t care.

Betty suddenly went still.

Did he want it to be special to her with him?

She stood up and paced the room. 

He hadn’t cared that it wasn’t special with the other women and it didn’t bother him that they hadn’t cared either even though he had told her previously that he’d liked them. Okay, so they hadn’t been virgins, but why on earth should that make any difference? The only reason any of this should matter to Jughead is if he cared about her more deeply than he’d intended. Betty paused in her pacing.

Jughead wanted sex with him to matter to her and it terrified him.

That had to be it. If he didn’t care about her and if he didn’t have some sort of feelings for her, why on earth would it matter? Sure, he wanted her to have an amazing life, but losing her virginity to him wouldn’t hinder that in any way. She mattered to him. He had told her that. He kept running every time things got intense between them, because she mattered and he didn’t want to hurt her. 

Betty let out a frustrated huff and threw herself down on the bed. All these thoughts only made her more confused and she had no idea why her wanting to sleep with Jughead should cause such a shit storm of conflict. Suddenly she sat up in horror. That couldn’t be it. She got up and hurried through the apartment to Jughead’s room and threw the door open, stopping in surprise when she spotted Jughead standing there with only a towel wrapped around his waist. He had taken a shower. Probably a cold one.

“Oh shit,” she breathed. His skin was still damp and the ache that went through Betty’s body about buckled her knees. Jughead looked at her in shock as she couldn’t help but drag her eyes over every inch of him. “I’m…god, I’m sorry, I just had a question,” she said hurriedly.

“Okay…” he said slowly, not moving as she continued to stare. His abs looked far too delicious and she had a mad urge to run her tongue all over them. The V lines that disappeared into his low sitting towel made her mouth water. “Yes?” he asked, sounding a little choked.

“Are you not sleeping with me because Chic is my brother?” she blurted. His eyes widened in surprised.

“What?” he gasped. “Of course not!”

“Okay, I was just wondering,” Betty said quickly and then closed the door and hurried back to her room. Her heart was pounding and her hands were sweaty and she realized she was in big trouble. Her attraction to Jughead wasn’t going to go away while she was around him. She couldn’t stop thinking about his body. Jughead Jones was a beautiful man. Not obnoxiously muscular, but lean and hard, defined just enough to make a woman drool.

“Betty?” Jughead’s voice suddenly sounded through the door and she sighed in frustration.

“Shit,” she muttered walking over to the door. She opened it and he stood there in pajama pants and no shirt and her eyes just kind of fixated on his chest. She had no idea what was wrong with her. It wasn’t like she hadn’t seen him like this. Hell, she’d been under him with him wearing less.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Jughead,” Betty sighed. “Unless you plan on joining me under the covers without a stich of clothing on, please go to your fucking room!” He swallowed and seemed frozen so she simply closed the door. It was a really long night.

 

The following day, Betty only saw Jughead on his way out the door in the morning and she was starting to feel almost defeated. So, he didn’t want to sleep with her but did it mean that he had to ignore her completely? Of course the fact that she had been ignoring him was just as bad but he’d deserved it, dammit! She was still mulling over it when Cheryl came by with a woman in a suit in tow and introduced her as Candace the therapist and then once she made sure Betty was comfortable, left the apartment. 

“I’ve never talked to a therapist before,” Betty said nervously, wringing her hands in front of her.

“It’s alright,” the woman said. “Everyone has a first time.” She had a kind soothing voice and Betty smiled.

“Why don’t we go into my room,” she suggested, motioning toward the door. Once inside, the woman settled on the big chair and Betty sat on the couch, pulling her legs under her.

“Alright, since this is the first time, I want to keep it short and figure out what we will be working on. Where do you want to begin?” Candace asked. 

“I don’t know,” Betty said softly. 

“Okay, why don’t you tell me why you wanted to see a therapist,” the woman suggested with a gentle smile.

“I’ve just…I been through a lot the last few years and I don’t know if I’m ready just yet to really talk about that but I have nightmares and I have a really hard time sleeping and I don’t quite know how to manage it without sleeping pills or without….” Betty let out a sigh, her voice trailing off.

“Without…?”

“Okay, you know whose apartment this is?” 

“Logan James.” 

Betty was surprised at that and was thankful she hadn’t blurted out Jughead’s name. The woman was trusted but not enough to know Jughead’s real name. She wondered then if she knew Cheryl as Cheryl or her other names.

“Yes, well, he’s my guardian, if you will, and the only way I seem to be able to sleep is if he’s…if he’s in bed with me,” Betty said quietly, her face flushed. “It’s not sexual, he just….he helped me with a couple of nightmares and he saw it made me sleep better if he was there so he stayed.”

“And how did that make you feel?”

“Safe.”

“And when’s the last time you felt safe?” Candace asked. Betty’s eyes filled with tears and she clenched her hands.

“It’s been a really long time,” she whispered.

“So, is the sleeping situation changing?”

“Kind of, I just realized that I can’t rely on him to keep the nightmares at bay. I need to learn to do this on my own.”

“Well, it’s really wonderful that you’re able to recognize that you need to tackle this problem on your own and not rely on somebody else but you realize that for you to deal with the nightmares you’ll probably have to dive in and deal with your past and why you have them,” the therapist said gently.

“Yeah,” Betty answered with a nod. “I just don’t know if I’m ready but I wanted to just start and maybe get a feel for it and get to know you and learn to relax a little.”

“Well, we can go as slow or as fast as you want. Some people just want to unload all the pain up front and start working through it and for some people it’s the slow release of information and the build that helps them work through it.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Seeing as I’ve been through a really traumatic experience, do you think getting involved with someone soon after is a good idea?”

“Involved how?” Candace asked.

“Like, sexually…” Betty said, her face red.

“Well it depends. I guess you’d have to look at the reasons for wanting to be sexual with someone. Is it to distract yourself? Is it to feel something? Is it simply because you really want the person?”

“It’s definitely the last one.”

“Why do you think it’s the last one?”

“Well, I think if I wanted to distract myself or to make myself feel something, it wouldn’t matter to me who it was.”

“And does it matter to you who it is?”

“Yes.”

“Well, ultimately, the decision is yours Betty. If you find that it ends up making you feel like you’re not making progress, you’ll have to figure out what to do.”

“So, no suggestions on what to do?” Betty asked with a nervous laugh.

“Well, I like to talk things through with my patients and let them make their own decisions and talk about how those decisions made them feel and how it affects their progress.” Betty nodded, understanding the course of action. They spent a few more minutes laying out a solid base of conversation and then Betty decided she was done. Just opening up the little that she did with this woman made her feel exhausted. She wished the woman just had all the answers but knew that she was right. To conquer her demons, she would have to face them.

 

Betty spent the next two days trying to keep herself busy to stop thinking about Jughead. He was occupied with whatever it was the Serpents were planning and if he wasn’t doing that, he went to visit his sister. When he was around her, she did her best to not pay attention to him but she felt his eyes on her all the time and she was getting beyond frustrated. 

She missed him.

She missed the way they used to be, teasing and smiling. She missed him at night, his arms wrapped around her. She missed his kiss. It was Friday night and it seemed everybody was in the lounge and she sat at the bar sipping her glass of wine that Toni finally poured for her and watched Jughead sit at a table with Archie and Pea, discussing something or other. They were all dressed in suits and she turned to Toni.

“Why are they so dressed up?”

“Cause they fly as fuck,” Toni said with a wink.

“Be serious.”

“They had a meeting today with the Serpents’ banker, moving some assets and they always go as classy business men,” she laughed. Betty couldn’t stop staring because Jughead Jones in a suit was enough to make her knees week. He looked up just then and their eyes met for a moment before he looked back at the guys, grabbing his beer and downing half of it. “How’s things going between you two?” Toni said with a smirk. “I could cut the sexual tension with a knife. He still being noble?”

“He’s making me want to pull my fucking hair out,” Betty grumbled. “All week we’ve barely spoken and damn if I don’t miss him. I miss him Toni and I’m not handling it very well.”

“Can I ask you something hon?” 

“Sure,” Betty shrugged.

“Do you have feelings for Jughead? And I don’t mean _do you like him_ because everybody likes him, I mean actual genuine feelings,” Toni spoke gently. Betty was a little taken aback at the question, having not really gone there herself.

“I…I don’t know,” she said with a sigh. “Maybe.” She took another sip of wine and looked back at Jughead. “I really do like him and when he touches me….Oh God Toni, he’s right. I’m setting myself up to get hurt,” she whispered.

“I really don’t think you are,” the woman smiled. “For one, he can’t stop looking at you and it has nothing to do with being your protector. He’s sleeping full nights with you…well, he was….he’s so freaking possessive and won’t let anyone say a word about you that isn’t kind and any guy looking at you gets his death glare. There’s protecting you and then there’s staking his claim.”

“Do you think he cares, even a little?”

“What does your gut tell you?”

“It’s been telling me he cares and it’s annoying him because he doesn’t want to,” Betty said, still watching him. 

“Yeah, that’s probably it. I’ve never seen him this way with a woman, not our whole life. None ever held his eyes like you do. None ever made him possessive. None ever terrified him,” Toni said with a smile. “I say it’s about time.”

“I don’t want him to be afraid and I don’t want to be the reason that he feels like he needs to somehow be different than who he is; I just want to be with him while I can.”

“You still think there’s an expiration date on your time with him, with us?”

“Isn’t there?” Betty asked softly. She finished her wine and motioned for Toni to fill her glass again.

“No, you’ve had enough,” Jughead said, suddenly appearing next to her. She jumped and glared at him.

“I’m sorry, are you my mother?” She winced inwardly at her tone but honest to Christ he was making her lose her mind. He was either ignoring her or bossing her around and she was at her wits end.

“Do I look like your mother?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. Betty let her eyes wander over him before coming back to lock with his. 

“No, you certainly do not,” she informed him. She watched as his eyes darkened slightly and he clenched his jaw. “More wine please,” she said to Toni, holding out her glass. Jughead took the glass and set it down away from her.

“You’re not used to drinking and you’ve had enough,” he said gently. Betty hopped off the stool, her eyes shooting fire.

“You know what I’ve had enough of, Jughead? You. You and your issues and your noble deeds and your Mr. Protector complex. I’ve mostly had enough of you bossing me around,” she snapped. She walked away from him and over to the pool table where Fangs was practicing his pool shot. “You know,” she said to him with a smile. “I’m not very good at playing pool, maybe you could teach me?” Fangs looked at her in surprise and then looked at Jughead.

“Ummm, I’m not really much of a teacher,” he stumbled out, still looking at his boss. Betty turned and saw Jughead’s furious glare and folded her arms across her chest, glaring back. “I don’t think Jughead would like it if I…”

“Jughead doesn’t get to boss me around,” Betty said looking back at Fangs. 

“Well, he bosses me around and I’m not about to piss him off,” the man shrugged and walked away. Betty rolled her eyes and walked back to Jughead and smiled sweetly at him. 

“Well, thanks to you, every male in this place is afraid to go anywhere near me. Any other way you care to piss me off?”

“Betty,” Jughead sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“No, don’t _Betty_ me,” she snapped. “I’m tired of this.”

“Tired of what? A man actually doing the right thing in your life for once?” he growled. “I am looking out for you Betty, okay? I refuse to take advantage….”

“Oh shut the hell up,” she fumed. “This has nothing whatsoever to do with me and your attempt at _protecting_ me and everything to do with you not taking what you want because you’re so fucking scared you might actually have a god damned feeling!” she finished in a yell. She didn’t notice how some were staring as she whirled around and stormed from the lounge. 

“Fuck,” Jughead growled, ready to go after her when his phone rang and he pulled it from his pocket. He sighed and answered it before heading over to Archie and sitting back down, putting the phone on speaker so they could both talk to whoever was on the other end.

“For two people who aren’t fucking, they sure do fight like an old married couple,” Pea said laughing as he walked up to the bar.

“How do you know they aren’t fucking?” Toni smirked.

“Because those two, if they were fucking, they wouldn’t be fighting,” Pea shrugged. “That’s a fact.”

 

Jughead finished his call with Archie and the safe supplier and headed back to his apartment. He felt frustrated and irritated after Betty had gone off on him and realized she was half right. His excuse of trying to protect her was even ringing idiotic in his own ears and he needed to explain to her that yes, he was afraid of starting anything with her and if he could make her understand that they should stick to being friends, then maybe they could be around each other without either yelling or wanting to rip each other’s clothes off. 

He walked into the apartment and over to Betty’s door which was open but she wasn’t in her room and he let out a sigh. He didn’t think she was angry enough to stay at Cheryl’s again but then again, maybe she was. He walked over to the bathroom, so lost in his own thoughts that he didn’t register the sound from inside and meant only to turn off the light, thinking it was empty. He reached for the light switch and then he froze. 

Betty was taking a shower.

Betty was taking a shower and was completely and sinfully naked.

Betty was naked and taking a shower and when she looked up and her eyes locked with his, he felt like his heart was going to explode it was beating so fast. She didn’t even flinch. The proper reaction, he thought, should have been her panicking and grabbing for a towel and yelling at him to get out or something of the sort, but she just held his gaze, standing under the water, the soap running down her body, the steam rising around her.

Jughead was no pervert and any other time he would have apologized profusely and high tailed it out of there but he couldn’t seem to move, or take his eyes from her. His gaze moved down her body, pausing at her breasts which had become full and lush since she had started eating, looking hungrily at the coral tips that were already strained and peaked; her slim waist, still so small even though she ate 24/7; the gentle flare of her hips that had also appeared in her month of eating; down her long perfect legs before slowly moving back up. 

He couldn’t help it, not the way she was watching him, the way her eyes challenged him. His gaze stopped at the apex of her thighs and his throat went dry and he swallowed painfully, suddenly rock hard in his suit. He quickly moved back to her face and his jaw clenched at the slight smirking smile on her face. He watched as she grabbed the body wash and squirted some on her hand and then started to run her hands along her skin, her eyes still holding his. Jughead turned quickly, determined to leave but he managed half a step before he looked again and damn if she didn’t pull her bottom lip between her teeth, her eyes clearly inviting.

“Fuck,” he muttered, leaning his forehead against the door frame. He gave up.

Jughead gave up the fight. 

He wanted to touch her. 

He wanted to taste her. 

He wanted her.

He turned and looked at her again and then walked slowly toward the shower. He opened the glass door and not bothering to take off a stitch of clothing, stepped into the steam with her.

Betty’s heart was going a mile a minute. She had no idea where she found the courage to play the seductress but she felt like she was shaking and she could barely form a thought as his eyes devoured her. He stepped up to her, fully dressed and she felt her body react instantly. Like fire in her veins, the ache spreading through her and collecting between her thighs. He moved his hand to touch her arm, slowly running it up to her neck and cupping her jaw, his thumb brushing over her bottom lip and he stepped closer, forcing her back toward the tile. 

His eyes seemed to burn into hers, so dark and filled with heat, she let out a small whimper. He wasn’t running away and he wasn’t going to. She lifted her hands and framed his face as his arm went around her waist, pulling her closer, up against his now soaked suit. The feel of the cloth against her skin was so arousing and so sensual and she rubbed against him, feeling his erection against her belly. Feeling how much he wanted her. 

“Jug,” she breathed when she was flush against him, suddenly desperate to feel skin on slippery skin. His hand moved from her waist, moving down over her backside and grabbing her flesh in a desperate squeeze and she moaned, her body trembling, pulling his face to hers, desperate for his mouth, his tongue, his everything.

“Mine,” he growled a second before his mouth covered hers in a hungry kiss.


	12. Wet, Wild and Hungry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We interrupt this story to bring you a chapter with nothing but heat and fire and no angst whatsoever, because we all just need a break, right? lol 
> 
> Happy smutty smut reading!!!
> 
> We will return to our regular schedualed angst after the following 10.5k of sexiness!
> 
> Enjoy!

If Betty thought that her previous kisses with Jughead were heated, this one was on another level. It was hot and wet, wild and hungry and she kissed him back with no restraint. Her hands moved up, sliding into his hair and she gripped it in her fingers and he groaned into her mouth, his tongue sweeping inside to tangle with hers. Jughead lifted her against him and she pressed against his arousal craving friction to ease the maddening ache between her legs. 

Betty felt like her body was on fire. She had no idea she could even be this aroused. His hands, dear god, his hands on her skin, stroking her and gripping her like he was trying to memorize the way she felt. He lifted his mouth suddenly and she moaned in protest, chasing it with her own. He held back, his eyes holding hers, challenging her, darkened with desire. The heat pooled between her legs and she began to tremble. She pulled him back in for another kiss, her hands grabbing his jacket lapels and pushing the garment off his shoulders. He all but devoured her mouth as he shrugged out of it, letting it drop in a soggy pile on the shower floor. Her fingers went to work on his shirt buttons, desperate to feel his skin against hers.

His mouth left hers and licked its way down her neck as she struggled to get his shirt off. When he reached her pulse, he latched on, sucking the skin as she finally got his shirt unbuttoned, her hands eagerly moving over his torso, sliding over the wet smooth skin, raking her nails over the ridge of muscle. He groaned against her skin, his hands sliding down and cupping her backside, lifting her against him. Betty pushed his shirt off his shoulders and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her chest against his and they both moaned as they slid against each other. She could feel him rock hard against her core and she bucked against him. Jughead squeezed with his hands and then took a step back. She shivered as his eyes once again moved over her body, hungry and dark. 

“You take my breath away,” he whispered, as if in awe. Betty felt a flush cover her and her heart squeezed in her chest. She was sure the women he had previously been with had most likely been beautiful and she had always felt she was pretty but plain but the desire in his eyes made her feel more beautiful and more like a woman than she had ever felt. When his eyes dropped to her chest, she held her breath as his hands lifted and slid up her front until they cupped her breasts, his thumbs sliding over the nipples.

“Jug,” she whimpered and he tore his gaze away from the tight peaks to her face. “I want to see you,” she begged, her hands moving to his pants, her fingers working on the button. He leaned in and kissed her again while she worked the zipper down and hooked her fingers into the waist band, tugging them over his hips. She could barely concentrate as his tongue slid over hers and when they dropped and he stepped out of them she wrapped her arms around his neck, forgetting about his boxers because she was just so desperate to feel him once again. 

Jughead lifted her and Betty wrapped her legs around his waist, grinding against him to try and get some relief for the furious ache between her legs. She had no idea it would be this good; this sinfully delicious to be naked against him. He braced her against the shower wall with his hips, his mouth eagerly covering all the skin he could reach in this position and pressing against her heat. 

“Christ, you feel good,” he groaned, his hands moving everywhere as she arched her back, willing his mouth to move lower. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered against the swell of her breast and she let out a sob when he moved his mouth closer to the pinched and tight peak. 

“Dammit,” she groaned in frustration when he changed direction and came back up, an arrogant smirk on his face. She grabbed his hair and glared at him. “Stop torturing me,” she ordered.

“You’ve been torturing me for a fucking month,” he growled. “It’s my turn.”

“I didn’t mean to,” she whimpered, changing tactics and trying to sway him. 

“Oh, I think you did,” he chuckled against her neck. “Especially this last week,” he said, nipping with his teeth. “Yelling at me with that sassy mouth, telling me you wanted me to fuck you, ignoring me when I thought I was being a gentleman.” He finished his last complaint with a thrust of his hips against hers, causing her head to fall back against the tile as heat flooded through her.

“I don’t want a gentleman,” she said, her eyes heated as she challenged him. “Take me to bed.”

“Is that an order?” Jughead asked with a smirking grin. Betty rolled her hips and pressed against him and he groaned, his head falling to her shoulder. He was so hard against her and the flimsy cloth of his wet boxers did nothing to minimize the feel of him. She let her hand slide down between them and brushed over his hard length and he jerked, his teeth scraping against her shoulder. “Fuck.” She slid up the tile as he lifted her, his mouth moving down, his tongue licking between her breasts, catching the water drops that ran down and then he was kissing her again, hot and heavy, his tongue tangling with hers. He moved down again and this time, his tongue swirled around her nipple and she cried out when he tugged it into his mouth, sucking eagerly. He released it with a wet pop, and she slid down as he moved back, his mouth moving lower as he dropped to his knees.

Betty looked down at him, gasping as he pressed kisses across her stomach and over her hips. He looked up, his eyes holding hers as he ran his tongue up her thigh, his hands smoothing up her legs and back down to her knees before sliding gently up the inside, nudging them apart. She felt intoxicated and couldn’t seem to catch her breath as he smiled against her skin on her inner thigh at the shudder that went through her. He kisses his way up and she held her breath when his mouth grazed over her core and then kept moving up.

“Fuck, Jughead!” she huffed out, her body shaking with anticipation as he teased her, kissing her everywhere but the parts that ached for him. 

“Hmmm?’ he hummed against her rib before he nipped with his teeth, causing her to jump and giggle at the tickle. He stood in front of her and brushed his hand across her stomach, teasing down and brushing ever so slightly against her. 

“Stop teasing,” she said in a whispered plea. Jughead brushed his nose against hers and pressed a soft kiss to her mouth. A kiss that belied the heat of the situation. 

“It’s been over a year for me, Betty and truthfully, I’ve never wanted someone this bad in my life. Let me take my time or this will be over embarrassingly quickly for me,” he said with a chuckle.

“Well, it’s been a life time for me and I’m about to spontaneously combust,” she moaned when he brushed over her again. 

“Tell me what you want, baby,” he murmured against her mouth. Betty’s mind flew back to the dream she had, when he’d whispered exactly that and she felt herself shudder with need.

“Please touch me,” she whimpered, moving her hips, trying to get his hand to where she was burning for him. Jughead slid his fingers into her folds and groaned.

“You’re so wet, Betty,” he breathed. “God, you’re so wet.” She cried out when he stroked over her clit, her knees buckling and he pressed his hips against her to keep her steady. 

“You make me wet,” she gasped, moving her hips and chasing his fingers. He stroked over her again and she moaned, feeling her body quickly climbing and she dug her nails into his arm, trying to keep her heart from beating out of her chest. He lifted his head and watched her face as he stroked her, the blue of his eyes dark and hungry, circling her slowly, leaning in and brushing his lips against hers.

“Come for me Betty,” he whispered and her entire body jolted at his words, her release rushing that much closer. His tongue flicked against her lips and she opened her mouth to let it dip inside, sliding along hers. “Come for me.”

“Jug,” Betty cried out, her body shaking as he stroked her, feeling her release slowly uncoil inside her. “Oh my god,” she whispered as it suddenly burned through her, her head falling back, her nails digging in, her hips jerking against his hand. Jughead lifted his head and he watched as she fell over the edge, her cries echoing around the bathroom. When she came to her senses, Jughead was pressing soft kisses to her shoulder, his hand moving over her hip. She suddenly found herself blushing and let out a shaky breath. “The water is getting cold,” she whispered, tilting her head as his mouth moved up the side. 

“Well, I better take you to bed then,” he said with a grin as he turned off the water and she giggled as he lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. 

“You’re still wearing your boxers,” she informed him. He reached under her legs and hooked his fingers in and dragged them down, kicking them off as he stepped out of the shower.

“Not anymore,” he winked and she could feel his arousal brushing against her thigh as he walked and she blushed again, biting her lip and looking down between them but couldn’t see anything. Just as they stepped out of the bathroom, there was a knock at the door and Jughead froze. “Are you fucking kidding me?” he asked, looking at it and then at Betty. 

“Maybe they tried your door and nobody answered?” she suggested. He walked them over to the door and leaned back against it.

“What?” he snapped and Betty bit her lip to stifle her laughter.

“Ummm, I was just checking on Betty? Make sure she’s alright?” Cheryl called through the door.

“Go away,” Jughead sighed.

“Stop being rude and open the door,” she barked. “Where is Betty?” At the moment, Betty was having her ear nibbled by Jughead’s mouth and his hand was squeezing her back side and she let out a gasp and wiggled against him. 

“She’s fine,” Jughead growled.

“Oh, like I’m going to believe you,” Cheryl retorted through the door. Jughead looked at Betty and rolled his eyes, motioning with his head.

“I’m fine, Cheryl,” she called, hating that her voice sounded entirely too breathless.

“Oh,” the woman said and Betty could have sworn she heard the smirk in her reply. “I’ll leave you to it then,” she said brightly. Betty smiled when Jughead pulled away from the door and walked them toward the bed, his mouth settling over hers again. She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him back eagerly, her body already recovered and aching for more. When she slid her tongue into his mouth, he stumbled on the rug and fell forward and she let out a yell as he quickly turned so his back took the brunt of the fall, with her sprawled on top of him. He grunted and grimaced and then he was kissing her again, rolling so she was under him and lifting so he was on his hands and knees over her, trapping her legs between his; hands braced next to her head as his mouth moved down to her chest.

“This isn’t the bed,” she laughed and then moaned when his tongue glided over her nipple. She arched her back, begging for more. Betty lifted her head and watched him and then her eyes moved down between them and she sucked in a breath when she saw him. Thick, hard and big, bobbing between them and a thrill went through her that she did that to him. She made Jughead hard with desire. She lifted her knee and lightly brushed against him and he groaned, his breath coming out in a rush.

“No, it’s not, is it,” he said with a grin as he kissed his way back to her mouth, his hand moving up her thigh. He parted her legs and shifted so he was between them, pressing against her thigh. His hand moved between them again and she bit her lip and whimpered when he slid his fingers against her again. “Do you ever touch yourself, Betty?” he asked, his voice low and husky. 

“Ye…yes,” she stuttered, lifting her hips to his hand. She tried to hold back her moan as he delved deeper into her silky folds.

“And what or who did you think about when you touched yourself?” he asked, gliding his thumb over her clit. 

“Well, when I was 15, it was the porn I had seen but lately, just you,” she breathed, then gasped when he circled her again. Jughead paused and lifted his head, looking at her with an amused smirk.

“You were looking at porn at 15?” he laughed.

“I was googling lug nuts, I stumbled on it,” she giggled. 

“Naughty girl,” he murmured, lowering his head and sucking the tender spot at the base of her neck. “And lately?”

“Just you,” she whispered, holding her breath when his fingers moved down and dipped lightly into her opening. “Please,” she whimpered, lifting to him when he pulled away and moved up to circle her clit again. Jughead dragged his tongue up her neck and bit lightly at her ear, his hot breath making the ache threatening to consume her even more intense. 

“Have you ever put your fingers inside yourself?” he asked gruffly, his finger dipping down again. She nodded, unable to form words when he slid inside a fraction. “They are so thin and delicate,” he murmured. “I bet mine will feel better.” He slid in another inch before pulling out and moving up to circle her clit again.

“Fuck,” she moaned, her frustration overwhelming her. She was so sensitive, so aroused; she knew she was on the verge of another orgasm. 

“Do you want my fingers inside you?” he asked against mouth, his tongue flicking over her lips as his fingers flicked over her clit.

“Please,” she moaned, her hands clutching the rug in a tight grip. His hand moved down again and he slowly slid a finger inside her.

“Holy fuck,” Jughead groaned into her mouth as she gasped and clenched in reaction. “You’re so tight, baby,” he whispered. She squeezed her muscles again and his cock twitched again her thigh, as he was wondering how he’d be able to hold it together once he was inside her. If she was this tight on his finger – he groaned again, his head dropping to her shoulder.

Betty was struggling to even form a thought as he slowly moved his finger in and out, his thumb circling her clit and she realized he was right; his fingers felt infinitely better than her own. His mouth made its way back to hers and he kissed her, deep and thoroughly until she was clinging to him, her nails digging into his shoulders, her hips lifting and moving with his hand.

“Jug,” she gasped, feeling herself start to unravel. Jughead smiled against her mouth and slowly added a second finger and Betty pressed her head back, her body arching off the floor.

“Are you going to come for me again, Betty?” he murmured, his mouth moving down to her chest. He wrapped it around her nipple and sucked gently and she splintered apart, crying out as her body seemed to burst into flame as the pleasure raced through her, her walls clamping down hard on his fingers, and his groan around her throbbing peak seemed to vibrate through her.

“Holy shit,” she gasped, her body shaking as he lifted his head and watched her, his hand gently stroking as she came down. When he pulled away she whimpered at the loss and then felt heat flood her body when he lifted his hand and put his fingers in his mouth, slowly sucking them clean. He leaned down again and gave her a kiss and she trembled when she tasted herself on his tongue, feeling a blush cover her body at the intimacy of it. Her skin had a slight sheen of sweat and she suddenly shivered as a chill went over her, causing goosebumps to pop up all over. “I’m cold,” she whispered, suddenly feeling very shy, which was completely ridiculous at this point because she had been naked with him now for at least half an hour, if not more. Time had seemed to stop when he’d stepped into the shower.

“Maybe I should get on with your orders then,” he teased, nuzzling his nose against the skin below her ear.

“You know,” she said breathlessly. “For someone who’s always brooding and angry, you sure do tease a lot.” 

“Well, it’s a little hard to be brooding and angry and look serious about it when you’re ass baring naked,” he shrugged. Betty giggled and he got up, pulling her with him and he kept his hands at her waist and walked her backwards toward the bed. When she felt it at the back of her legs, she stopped and placed her hands on his shoulders and he paused, watching her as she ran her hands over his chest, taking her time to touch him, to feel him and to look at him. When her fingers moved over his stomach, she watched as the muscle contracted under her touch and his breath left his mouth in a huff.

Betty let her eyes move lower and let out a shaky breath when she looked at him again. She moved her hand lower and Jughead grabbed it quickly and she dragged her eyes away from his arousal and up to his face.

“It’s been too long, I don’t…I don’t know how much control I have right now,” he said hoarsely. God, the way she was looking at him, devouring him with her eyes was making him harder than he’d ever been in his life. 

Betty noticed suddenly how tense he was, the tension coiled tight in his muscles, his skin trembling everywhere she touched him. He had been holding back and taking care of her without a thought of himself. 

“I want to touch you,” she pleaded, tugging her hand away from his and moving it down again. She held her breath as she trailed her fingertips up the side of his cock and bit her lip when it twitched against her fingers. His forehead dropped to hers and he let out a shaky breath. 

“Betty…” he whispered when her hand wrapped around him. She was in awe of how he felt in her hand. Hard and smooth, like satin over steel. He let out a groan when she tentatively moved her hand, stroking down and then back up. “Shit,” he muttered. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he managed to gasp when she stroked over him again. Betty slid her free hand up his chest and around the back of his neck, pulling his head down and pressing her mouth to his. His hands came up and framed her face as he slid his tongue into her mouth, kissing her hungrily and groaning again as she kept stroking him. 

“Am I doing it right?” she asked breathlessly when she pulled back and gasped for breath, her thumb sweeping over his tip. He jerked in her hand and gasped.

“God, yes,” he replied. Betty smiled and brushed her mouth over his.

“Remember that porn I told you I watched?” she asked, moving her mouth to his neck.

“Yes,” Jughead said with a smile. 

“Well, they did something that I want to try,” she said seductively as her mouth moved across his chest.

“What’s that?”

Betty smiled up at him as she slowly kissed her way down and he understood immediately and grabbed her arm, stopping her. She paused and watched him, saw his throat work as he swallowed.

“Betty, it’s your first time, you don’t have to…..you don’t have to do that,” he insisted, even as he trembled under her hand smoothing down his torso.

“I’ve come twice Jughead, I think it’s your turn. Have you ever come more than once with a woman?” she asked, breaking free of his grip and moving down. Jughead had already learned that when Betty was determined to do something, there was no stopping her. 

“I don’t…I don’t remember,” he groaned as she sank to her knees, her mouth moving across his abdominal muscles. He’d simply lost the ability to even think. How in God’s name this innocent virgin had managed to wrap him around her finger he would never know. She’d only ever kissed a 16 year old boy and here she was, on her knees and ready to wrap her mouth around him. He wondered if he was dreaming. She held him in her hand and was just staring at him as if wondering what she should do next. He attempted again to turn the tables. “Maybe you should wait, until you’re more comfortable and….” He stopped midsentence when her tongue came out and touched the drop that appeared on his tip from the intense arousal he felt.

Betty felt heat coil in her abdomen as she slowly licked her tongue over Jughead. She felt shy and brave at the same time and she had no idea if she was doing it right but the way he groaned and twitched against her tongue was enough to keep her going. His taste was on her tongue and she wanted more, wanted to make him lose control like he had done with her. She ran her tongue up his length and his hands slid into her hair trying to pull her away and holding her close at the same time. Swirling her tongue around the tip, she shifted and slowly took him in her mouth and it felt beyond thrilling. He felt hot and she swore she could feel him throbbing as she slowly pulled back and then took him in again.

“Fuck,” Jughead choked out, staring down at her as she looked up at him shyly. Seeing her tongue wrapped around him and then his cock disappearing inside her mouth brought him dangerously close to embarrassing himself after only a couple minutes. She was so wonderfully inexperienced and unsure, pausing every now and then to decide what to do next, he didn’t know if he could handle it. He would take her sweet sexy shy mouth over an expert, any day. “Betty, you need to stop,” he moaned, even as he thrust lightly, never wanting her to stop at all. She wrapped her hand around his base and sucked him deeper and he could feel his release simmering in his abdomen. “Baby, please, I’m…stop….”

There was no convincing her as she grabbed his hips and dug her nails in, taking him deep again and he stiffened and spilled in her mouth before he could even think to stop it. She made a sound of surprise and swallowed quickly, easing her movements until he calmed under her. 

“Shit, I’m sorry,” he gasped out, his breathing shallow and choppy. Betty pulled off and wiped her mouth, her blush covering her face and he found it insanely arousing that she could be so shy after what she’d just done. “I’m…sorry,” he said again, helping her to her feet.

“It’s ok,” she whispered. “I liked it. Did you?” Jughead suddenly grabbed her by the waist and lifted her and she let out a shriek as he tossed her on the bed, crawling over her before she’d even stopped bouncing. 

“Yes, I liked it,” he growled. ‘I wasn’t expecting it and that might have made it all that much hotter.” He took her mouth in a thorough kiss, not seeming to care that he had just emptied himself in there. “In case you were wondering,” he whispered against her skin as his mouth moved down her neck. “I’ve always used protection but I still always get tested after things end and I’m clean.” 

“I wasn’t wondering and I trust you,” Betty gasped when he bit into her collar bone. Jughead lifted his head and stared down at her.

“Why do you put so much trust in me?” he asked softly.

“You asked me to,” she whispered. She saw something in his eyes that she couldn’t quite decipher and then she felt his hand move down her side and over her hip before moving to her inner thigh. 

“Do you trust me, Betty? Do you trust me with this?” he asked, his fingers moving to her core, brushing over her folds. She bit her lip and nodded, her body still simmering and overheated from what she had just done to him. “I don’t know,” he murmured against her ear. “I don’t know if you can handle what I want to do to you; what I’ve been dreaming of doing to you all week; longer even.”

“What’s…what’s that?” she whimpered when his fingers found her clit, circling gently. 

“You’re still so wet,” he whispered, his tongue flicking against her earlobe. “I want to taste you,” he breathed and she moaned, lifting to his hand. “Do you want to know what that feels like, Betty?” She nodded as his mouth moved to hers, his tongue gliding across her lips. “I want to drag my tongue along here,” he revealed, his fingers stroking up her folds. “I want it here, circling, licking…” His finger stroked against her clit and her eyes rolled back in her head, his touch and words making her head spin. “I want to put my tongue inside you,” he continued, his fingers slipping inside her again and Betty let out a sob. “I want to make you come all over it, I want it all in my mouth while you shake and clench on my tongue.”

“Oh my God,” Betty gasped. “Please, Jug, stop talking and just do it,” she pleaded. He laughed softly and moved his mouth down to her breasts. The sound made her shudder. Everything about the man was sexy, even his laugh. He sucked her nipple into his mouth and she arched into him, the arousal shooting down between her legs as he tugged on her, his fingers still moving inside her. His tongue flicking over her tight peak made her writhe in the sheets, her hands running over his shoulders and down his back. He moved across and laved the same attention to that breast before slowly kissing his way down.

Betty wondered if she’d be able to survive what he was about to do to her. She had dreamt about it, wondered about it, wanted to know what it was like, to do something so incredibly intimate with someone. With Jughead. His mouth felt like fire moving over her skin, burning a path down her stomach, his tongue teasing into her bellybutton before moving lower. She looked down when he pressed a kiss just above her heat and she shivered, suddenly nervous as his hand caressed her thighs and slowly pushed them apart. She was suddenly insanely happy that she had let Cheryl talk her into a bikini wax while at the spa and “tidying” up the area, as Toni had put it; you know, just in case Jughead actually ended up in her panties. 

Now, here she was, Jughead between her legs, pushing her thighs apart and leaving her in full vulnerable view to his hungry gaze. He held her eyes, his hands stroking her thighs gently as he pressed another kiss to her skin.

“Don’t be nervous,” he whispered and she managed a smile. “Do you want me to stop?” Betty quickly shook her head and he smirked and moved his head, pressing a kiss in the crease where her leg met her torso, dragging his tongue along it. She drew in a shaky breath and shifted impatiently. He kept at it, kissing everywhere except where she was throbbing and she soon relaxed and let her thighs fall wider under his gentle touch. When she felt his breath blow gently over her she let out a whimper. When she felt the light flick of his tongue, she jerked in response, her pelvic bone hitting him in the forehead.

“Ow,” he chuckled, lifting up and rubbing it with a light wince.

“Shit, I’m sorry,” she gasped. “It surprised me.”

“Are you okay?” he asked, coming up and giving her a gentle kiss.

“Yeah,” Betty said softly. “I feel overwhelmed,” she admitted.

“Do you want to stop?” he asked.

“No, no,” she insisted. “I just would never have guessed….”

“What?” 

“That my first time would be this amazing and we haven’t even had actual sex yet,” she said with a nervous giggle. “I guess I figured it would be more, take me to bed, get me ready and then do it.”

“Well,” Jughead said with a smirk, pressing a kiss to her chin. “I had to make sure I left a better impression than a porn from 6 years ago,” he winked. She bit her lip and smiled.

“You’re definitely doing that,” she whispered.

“Shall I continue?” he asked softly.

“Please,” Betty begged. 

Jughead moved back down and was once again hovering over her. She was desperate to feel his mouth and at the same time, she felt nervous and shy. His fingers touched her gently, stroking over her, parting her and then she felt it. His tongue just barely flicked over her and her hips bucked again and then he dragged it through her folds and she groaned, her hips lifting slightly, wanting to feel more. He stroked over her again, swirling around her clit and she forgot to breathe, never in life had she thought anything could feel so good.

“God, you taste good,” he groaned and she shuddering, forgetting all about being shy and lifted to him, craving the feel of his wet tongue gliding over her, his words setting her ablaze as she moaned and gripped the bed sheets. His tongue slid down and pressed inside her, before returning to lap at her clit, until she was shaking, her body beginning to unravel.

“Jug,” she moaned when he slid a finger inside her, pressing deep and curling as he moved back and forth. When his mouth latched over her swollen clit and sucked, she fell apart, her orgasm so intense she couldn’t stop the long cry that fell from her lips. Betty clenched her thighs on his head and he growled against her, his hands pushing her legs apart again. He spread them wide, not letting up, licking, sucking, and pressing into her and she sobbed as it started to build again. The second time she came all over his tongue, his mouth catching her release as her hands fisted in his hair, pressing him to her as she lifted to him. Jughead’s hand stroked her shaking thighs, his mouth soothing her gently as she shook for what seemed like endless minutes.

He slowly kissed his way up her body, feeling her tremble under his mouth and Jughead felt like he was going to lose his mind if he didn’t get to be inside her soon. He had done what he’d set out to do, overwhelm her, make her first time amazing for her, make her see stars. He felt his body shudder as he braced on his forearms and lowered himself against her, nestling between her legs. He groaned at the feel of her soft smooth skin everywhere. He hadn’t been lying when he’d told her that he’d never wanted anything so badly in all his life. He wanted to bury himself inside her, feel her clench around him, hear her cries of pleasure in his ear. He had come only a bit ago but he was so hard again, it hurt.

Betty lay gasping, trying to form a thought as her body lay shaking against the sheets. She slowly became aware of Jughead over her, completely surrounding her with his heat, his scent, his everything. He was placing soft kisses along her neck, his arousal pressed against her thigh as he waited for her to come to her senses. Dear God, she couldn’t seem to comprehend what had just happened to her. It was as if he had completely taken her apart and then slowly and thoroughly put her back together and she couldn’t seem to stop her shuddering.

“You doing okay?” he asked softly, lifting his head and looking into her eyes. She could feel him tremble and she ran her hands up his arms to rest on his shoulders.

“I feel like we’ve been going all night and we haven’t gotten to the good part yet,” she said breathlessly. 

“The good part?” he asked in amusement. “So everything we’ve done hasn’t been good?”

“You know it has,” she assured him. “I meant…”

“Hmmmm?” he murmured, his mouth returning to brush against hers.

“You inside me” she whispered. He let out a shaky breath and groaned, shifting so he slid against her. Betty gasped, the feel of him sliding through her wet folds making her ache all over once again. As much as she had dreamed about and wanted sex with him, she had never imagined the experience would be this incredible, that it would feel this wonderful. Jughead smoothed the hair off her face, taking in what she assumed must be a completely overwhelmed and dazed look. She felt exhausted and invigorated at the same time and she moved restlessly against him. 

“You ready for the good stuff?” he asked teasingly. Betty giggled and bit her lip. She nodded and slid her hands down his upper arms and moved them to his back, arching against him. He groaned again, nudging against her clit and leaving her gasping.

“God, Betty, you feel amazing,” he breathed against her mouth. “You’re so soft and so incredibly wet.”

“Jug?” she whispered nervously.

“Yeah baby?”

“You wanted this, right?” she asked, her voice trembling. He lifted his head to look at her. “I mean, I didn’t misread you? You don’t feel pressured to do this, do you? You wanted this?”

“I can’t even explain to you how much I want this,” he said heatedly, his eyes simmering with need and desire. He slid against her again and then he paused and lifted his head and let out a sigh. “Hold on,” he muttered. “I need to get a condom.”

“Oh, there’s…there are some in the drawer,” she said, motioning to the side table. He looked at her in surprise. “Cheryl got them,” Betty admitted with a blush. “Just in case…”

“Figures,” he said with a laugh as he reached for the drawer.

“Ummm…Jug?” 

He paused and looked at her.

“Do you have to use one?” she asked shyly.

“Well, I always use one and it’s safer…” he said, sounding a little confused.

“I know,” she replied quickly. “It’s just….well, you said you were clean and I’m on the pill and my body hasn’t even…I mean, it hasn’t corrected itself yet to have my….I mean….gosh, nevermind, I’m sorry, go ahead,” she stammered out.

“You don’t want me to use a condom?” he asked, brushing her hair back.

“I read somewhere once that it feels better without it,” she blushed.

“It probably does,” Jughead smiled.

“You’ve never…?” He shook his head and she nodded in understanding. “Okay, yeah, it’s probably best then,” Betty said quickly. “I mean, it’s totally up to you and…”

“Betty?”

“Yeah?” she let out with a nervous breath.

“Just relax,” he whispered gently, brushing his lips across hers. “If you don’t want to do this, we can…”

“No,” Betty said quickly. “I really really want to. I want you.” Jughead lowered his head and kissed her, his tongue dipping into her mouth and she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer, letting her legs relax and sliding her foot along his calf.

“How do you want me?” he whispered, his mouth moving down her jaw, his tongue licking her skin and sucking gently. He moved his hips, his arousal sliding through her folds, stroking against her clit and she moaned, all shyness evaporating as she arched against him.

“I want you inside me,” she moaned, the desire simmering inside her coming to a full boil. Jughead shifted and took her mouth in a deep kiss as he moved and she felt him nudge at her opening, all talk of a condom forgotten. He wanted it this way as badly as she did and she couldn’t imagine anything between them for her first time. She just wanted to feel him. 

His tongue stroked against hers and she trembled, her leg coming up and hooking over his thigh as he slowly pushed forward, releasing her mouth with a gasp as he slid in an inch. She whimpered as she felt him stretching her and she was surprised that it didn’t hurt like she thought it would, like she’d heard it would. Although, she’d also heard that for some women, it wasn’t so bad and she figured she was one of those women. He watched her face as he pushed in a little more and she let out a gasp at the fullness, the unbelievable feeling of him pressing into her. If she had thought his fingers felt amazing, this was on a level all on its own.

“You’re okay?” he asked, his voice tight and strained. She suddenly became aware of him then; how he trembled, how his body was covered with a sheen of sweat, how heavy his breath was.

“More,” she breathed, lifting to him and he slid in further, pulling a low groan from him. He lowered his forehead to hers and shuddered when she widened her legs more and he slipped in further. He pulled back slowly and Betty gasped at the sensation and then gave a small cry when he slid forward again. She felt herself stretch and there was a slight burn as he slid all the way in and then he went still. He was breathing heavy against her neck and she shifted, causing him to groan and grasp her hips, holding her still.

“Don’t move,” he gasped. “I need a minute.”

“ _You_ need a minute?” she gasped, trying to relax and letting her body adjust to him. She felt so incredibly full and she could feel him throbbing inside her and it was the most intensely arousing thing she’d ever felt in her life. Jughead let out a breath and lifted his head, smoothing the hair off her face and framing it with his hands. His eyes were dark, burning into hers. He held her gaze as he slowly pulled out and then eased back in, his body tense and trembling.

“Are you okay?” he asked gently. “Does it hurt?”

“No, it’s good,” Betty assured him. “I promise,” she added when he furrowed his brow. His eyes roamed over her face and he kissed her gently.

“You are so beautiful,” he whispered as he began to slowly move again. 

“You feel good, Jug,” she whimpered, lifting to him to bring him back. 

“ _You_ feel good,” he insisted. “You’re so wet and so unbelievably tight,” he groaned. His words went like fire through her veins, accumulating in her lower abdomen and coiling to the point of snapping and she pressed her head back, chasing that high that she now desperately craved. She lifted her legs and he shuddered as he sank even deeper. He began to move at a steady pace and she let out a moan, her mouth looking for his. He kissed her hungrily, seeming to go deeper with every thrust inside her. Betty wrapped her arms around him and panted beneath him, trying to form a thought.

“I can’t think,” she cried out, the pleasure racing through her and he lifted his head, bracing on his hands as he watched her face while they moved together.

“Don’t think,” he murmured. “Just feel.” His hand suddenly moved between them and she let out a surprised gasp when his fingers started to rub her clit. That, coupled with him inside her made her start to unravel and when he lowered his mouth to her breast and wrapped his lips around her nipple, sucking it into his mouth, she felt her body rush to the edge quickly and she went wild, bucking against him, wrapping her legs around him and he groaned, rubbing harder as she felt his body start to stiffen. 

“Fuck me, I can’t hold it,” he groaned. “Come baby, please, I need you to come.” Then the pleasure swept over her and her eyes rolled back in her head, her body arched off the bed as her orgasm ripped through her in waves that had her cries echoing around the room. She was barely aware of the loud growl that left Jughead’s lips and his body stiffening and shuddering as he thrust hard a few times, his hips jerking against hers as he found his own release and she felt it pulse inside her as he emptied himself.

“Oh my god,” she cried out as the pleasure rolled over her until she completely lost her breath. She could feel her body clenching repeatedly and if the gasps against her neck were any indication, Jughead was coming as hard as she was and then he collapsed on her and she wrapped all around him, as she shuddered and shook. She had no idea how long they lay there like that, gasping against each other, their sweat slicked bodies pressed together, his mouth pressing soft kisses to her neck. “Jug?” she whispered. He grunted in response. “Am I dead?” 

“I fucking hope not because we are definitely going to do that again,” he growled against her neck. She smiled when he lifted his head and his fingers moved to swipe across her cheek which she suddenly realized were lined with tears. “Are you okay?” he asked for what seemed like the hundredth time, as he gently eased off her and moved to the side. She winced as he slipped from her and realized that she was indeed sore now that they were done.

“I’m perfect,” she whispered when he pulled her into his side. They lay quietly for a while, Jughead’s hand stroking up and down her back and Betty thought it strange as he had been quite the talker during sex. Who would have thought? 

He moved suddenly, easing her back and sitting up. She lay back on her pillow, tugging the sheet up to her chest and then to her surprise, he got up and left the room. Okay, Cheryl had said he doesn’t stay with a girl once the sex is done, but for God’s sake, he could have said goodnight, or…or something. She sat up, feeling suddenly vulnerable and foolish and looked around for something to wear. She was about to get out of bed when he suddenly came back in wearing pajama pants and she realized that all his clothes were soaking wet in the shower. He went into the bathroom and she relaxed back on the pillows again and waited.

When Jughead came back out, he had a cloth with him and he sat down on the edge of the bed and smiled at her, tugging her closer. She looked at him in confusion and when he slowly pulled the sheet down, Betty realized what he was going to do and she shook her head and blushed red, pulling the sheet back up.

“Jug, no,” she said, feeling a little mortified. “I can go to the washroom,” she insisted.

“It’s okay Betty, let me take care of you,” Jughead said softly. “Please.” He waited until she relaxed her grip on the sheet and he pulled it down with a smile. Betty let out a breath as he gently wiped her, cleaning up the evidence of their passion and when he was done he dropped a kiss on her knee and went back to the bathroom. Betty moved to the foot of the bed where she had Jughead’s t-shirt hanging over the foot board and pulled it over herself and grabbed a pair of panties out of the drawer and pulled them on. She was just settling back when Jughead returned and he climbed back into bed.

“You’re going to stay with me?” she asked softly. He looked at her in surprise.

“Do you not want me to?” he asked, sounding unsure.

“Yes,” Betty spoke quickly. “I just….well, Cheryl….”

“Jesus Christ,” Jughead growled as he lay back on his pillow and rolled his eyes. “Stop fucking listening to her. She thinks she has me all figured out, but she doesn’t.”

“So, you usually stay with a woman then? After?”

“Well…no…I just…” he sighed and trailed off. Betty smiled and curled into him, pulling his arm around her and resting her head on his chest. 

“I’m glad you’re staying,” she whispered. Jughead shifted until he was on his side and she was on her back and he propped his head on his hand. 

“Was it everything you wanted it to be?” he asked softly.

“It was amazing, Jughead,” Betty said shyly, a flush covering her face. “It was more than I wanted or dreamed it would be. I had no idea it could be like that.”

“What? The porn wasn’t like this?” he teased.

“Stop it,” she laughed, smacking him lightly on the chest. He caught her hand and brought it to his mouth and placed a kiss on it. She felt her heart flutter at the soft look in his eyes. “Was it what you wanted it to be?” she turned his question back on him. He smiled and she pressed closer, wondering how on earth she hand managed to be in bed with such a beautiful man and why he didn’t have a line of women attached to him.

“It was amazing,” Jughead assured her. “I was nervous.” That surprised her because any other time, Jughead oozed confidence. In fact, this entire experience had a confident, sexy man driving her out of her mind.

“Why?” she whispered. “You’re experienced and obviously you know what you’re doing. You could have done it all wrong and I probably wouldn’t know it.” Jughead laughed at that and leaned down to give her a kiss. 

“Oh, believe me, you’d notice,” he said when he pulled away. “I just wanted to make sure it was perfect for you and not hurt you.”

“Believe me, it was perfect,” Betty insisted. “Can I ask you something?” she asked quietly after a while.

“Sure.”

“Why don’t you have more women in your life?” she asked. “I don’t mean like why aren’t you married or why don’t you have a girlfriend, but surely you realize how handsome you are and you could probably have anyone, anytime you wanted. Why do you not take advantage of that?”

“Are you asking why I’m not a man whore?” he asked with a laugh.

“I guess,” she giggled.

“I don’t know,” he shrugged as he lay back on his pillow again and pulled her up against him. “I’ve never really been a skirt chaser. I don’t want to connect to someone like that unless I at least like them, I mean, at the very least,” he laughed. “I don’t really understand the appeal of sleeping with a complete stranger for an hour of gratification.”

“Did you ever get bugged about it when you were younger?” Betty asked.

“A little,” he smiled. “But they all stopped harassing me about it when I turned 20. I thought it was because I was now the leader of the Serpents but Toni informed me that that was the year I switched from really handsome to insanely hot and they were glad I wasn’t competing with them.” Betty burst into giggles and he grinned.

“I like you like this,” she said softly, her fingertips tracing his jaw as she rested her head on his shoulder. “Relaxed and smiling. You’re too serious all the time.”

“Things have been pretty serious lately,” he reminded her.

“I know,” Betty acknowledged. “But from what everyone says, you’re always very serious. Cheryl once told me that all you do is brood and read,” she added with a smile.

“I swear, I’m going to have to give that woman shit about how much crap she talks,” Jughead sighed.

“Is she wrong?” 

“No, but she doesn’t have to tell all my secrets,” Jughead said laughing. They were quiet for a while and Betty thought he was falling asleep when he suddenly spoke again. “I feel relaxed when I’m with you and nobody else is around.”

“I feel safe with you,” Betty whispered. “Whenever you’re near me.”

“I’m always going to keep you safe,” Jughead promised, squeezing her close. 

“Are you sure you can make such a promise?” she asked softly.

“I promise with my life, Betty, I’m going to keep you safe.” 

Betty leaned her head back and looked at him and saw he was completely serious. She leaned up and kissed him and he pulled her on top of him and returned her kiss slowly, thoroughly until she melted against him and needed to pull away to breathe. She rested her cheek over his heart and her fingers traced the letters of another word tattoo over the right side of his chest. 

_Life goes on._

“Why did you get this?” she asked softly.

“To remind myself,” he said simply. She didn’t ask anymore, thinking he probably wasn’t ready to tell her why he needed to remind himself. She fell asleep listening to the steady beating of his heart.

 

Jughead ran his hands through his hair, rinsing the shampoo out before lifting his face to let the water wash over it. He was trying to gather his thoughts and figure out what the hell was happening to him when a pair of arms snuck around his waist and a mouth pressed a soft kiss to his back.

“Hi,” Betty whispered softly, laying her cheek against his skin. He smiled and turned slowly in her arms until she was pressed against his front.

“Hey,” he replied gently, his hands sliding around her waist, pulling her too him. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“It’s three in the morning. Why are you showering?”

“It helps me think,” he shrugged.

“What are you thinking about?” Betty asked quietly.

“You,” Jughead smiled.

“What about me?” she asked curiously.

“It’s a secret,” he laughed. She frowned at him and pinched his side. 

“Tell me!” 

“I was thinking…” he dragged out before dropping a kiss on her shoulder. “How beautiful you are, how sweet you are, how sassy you are.”

“Is that so?” she asked with a smirk. 

“You’re also very demanding and bossy,” he teased, kissing her collarbone, his hands sliding over her skin. 

“Well, then next time give me what I want,” she fired back. 

“Spoiled too,” he chuckled against her neck. She gasped in outrage and he grinned before covering her mouth with his. He decided it didn’t matter what was happening to him. She felt too damn good and he couldn’t care less at the moment. She whimpered into his mouth and it drove him crazy, the noises she made every time he touched her and kissed her. “Why do you taste so good?” he growled when he pulled away, his hands sliding over her backside and hoisting her up, lifting her against the tile and balancing her with his hips as her legs wrapped around him. “And why do you feel so fucking soft and sexy?” 

“You’ve been without a woman for too long,” she laughed.

“I’ve been without _you_ for too long,” he replied before he realized what he was saying. He wanted to take it back and wanted to say it again, all at the same time and it confused the hell out of him. She confused the hell out of him. She was making him say and do things that he’d never done before, things that he avoided at all cost. 

“Well, I’m here now,” she whispered, pulling her lip between her teeth and smiling at him, pressing against him. “So you better take advantage,” she teased. Jughead felt his anxiety ease and he smiled as he leaned in to kiss her again. “Do you want to come back to bed?” she asked in a husky voice against his ear when he pulled away. 

“I kind of like it right in here,” Jughead murmured as he kissed his way down to her chest. He dragged his tongue between her breasts, licking up the water drops that ran down from the shower. He came back up, his tongue sliding into her mouth and she met it eagerly with her own, moaning when she felt his arousal brush against her. 

“Can we do it again?” she asked breathlessly when he pulled away. 

“You’re not too sore?” he asked, his hand sneaking down between them and groaning when he found her already wet with desire. It only fueled his need to devour her and he stepped back and lowered to his knees in front of her. He smiled up at her, kissing the inside of her thigh as he grabbed her leg and lifted it to hang over his shoulder. He looked at her for a moment, his mouth watering at her glistening pink flesh and that he was the lucky bastard who got to give her pleasure. Who got to taste her and make her come.

“Oh shit,” she gasped when he leaned in and ran his tongue along her folds and Jughead groaned at her sultry taste. He found her clit, already swollen with need and circled it gently before sucking it into his mouth and smiling around it when she shuddered against him. He moved lower and pressed inside her, the feel of her silken walls wrapped around his tongue nearly driving him insane. “Fuck, Jug,” she moaned, bucking against his mouth. He pressed deeper, suddenly desperate to make her fall apart, for her to come in his mouth. 

He didn’t let up, licking into her and sucking on her, taking everything she gave him eagerly, drowning in her taste and the feel of her on his tongue. Her hand slid into his hair, gripping it and holding him to her, grinding against him and it only spurred him on. He stroked over her clit until she was shaking and then he replaced it with his thumb as he pressed his tongue inside her. He could feel her start to tighten and he rubbed harder and pressed deeper and then she was crying out and clenched on his tongue and he groaned as she flooded his mouth, her orgasm rushing through her and he took it all, lapping at her until she wilted and her knees buckled. He stood quickly and lifted her, stepping out of the shower and sitting her on the edge of the counter and she looked at him, completely dazed and gasping for breath.

“You’re insanely good at that,” she managed to get out. “I mean, I have nobody to compare you to, but holy shit, you’re so good at that.” He smirked against her neck, kissing her skin and running his hands along her sides. She lifted her legs and wrapped them around his waist and pulled him closer, her hands grabbing his face and pulling him in for a kiss. It was all dirty wet tongue and biting teeth and he was hard as rock, sliding against her still dripping heat. “Fuck me,” she ordered, pulling on his lip before running her tongue along his jaw.

“You’re too sore,” he protested, trying to reason with her but she reached down and wrapped her hand around him and he jerked at her touch. 

“I’m fine,” she insisted, her green eyes filled with heat, begging for more. He took her mouth and pulled her hand away, sliding his cock through her slick folds as he thrust his tongue inside her mouth. “Please,” she pleaded. Jughead held her hips steady and eased inside her and once again felt like he’d died and gone to heaven. She was so tight around him, so smooth and wet and she felt like a silk glove sliding over him and he almost spilled then and there but he managed to gain some control. He watched her face for signs of discomfort and there was only a slight wince at his initial slide and then her head fell back as she moaned and moved against him.

“Fuck, you feel so good,” he gasped, pulling out and thrusting back in. He looked down and watched as he slid in and out, the way her body opened for him, the way it clenched when he pulled out, begging for him to come back in. He had never been so fascinated by the act as he was now, never desperate to watch a body take him. “Fuck,” he whispered as he watched her close around him and he realized he was in trouble. He was about to embarrass himself. “Holy shit, Betty, I’m going to come,” he said, almost apologetically. 

“Come Juggie,” she moaned. “Please, I want it.” Her green eyes were wide with lust, her legs spreading wider and he felt it burn through is lower abdomen and he was powerless to stop it as it ripped through his veins, his cock swelling inside her and he growled against her neck as he released in a rush, his orgasm racing through him as he spilled into her, jerking against her as he pulsed and throbbed deep inside. Somewhere in his intoxicated mind he realized she was rubbing herself and then she clenched around him, pulling him even deeper, milking him until he was done and he slumped against her, almost unable to breathe.

“What the fuck?” he gasped, trying to comprehend what had just happened to him. He had completely lost control, something he had never ever done. She was shaking against him and her arms were wrapped around his neck as he held her close, taking a moment to gather his wits. After a while he slowly pulled away and she winced as he slipped from her and he instantly felt bad. “I’m sorry, Betty, I should have waited,” he said regretfully. She quickly shook her head.

“No, that was amazing,” she said shakily. “It was amazing. I swear it only feels uncomfortable as you start and when it’s done. During, it’s just amazing.” Jughead smiled at her repeated use of the word and he gave her a soft kiss. She studied him when he pulled back and touched his face.

“Are you okay?” she asked gently. “You seemed a little shaken at the end.”

“It was really amazing,” he agreed with a smile. He didn’t offer her an explanation about his reaction when they were finished because he couldn’t even figure out what had happened himself. All he knew was that sex with her was mind blowing and he knew he’d never find the same thing with anybody else ever again.

He helped her into the shower and they cleaned up again before heading back to bed. She disappeared into his apartment and he settled on the bed and grinned when she came back with a pint on ice cream and two spoons. She got into bed and snuggled into his side and handed him a spoon.

“I’m really hungry,” she explained as she shoved a spoonful in her mouth.

“Of course you are,” he laughed, dipping his own spoon in. He lifted it to his mouth and suddenly her mouth was around it as she stole his helping. “Hey!” he laughed and she giggled and offered her own spoonful. He wrapped his mouth around it and took it, his eyes smiling into hers. They laughed and shared the ice cream, more feeding each other than themselves, with creamy kisses in between until the pint was gone.

He fell asleep with his arms around her and a smile on his face.

 

Betty woke slowly and saw she was alone in bed and she frowned. Looking at the time, she saw it was almost 6am and she felt Jughead’s side of the bed and found it still warm and she sat up, listening for him. The bathroom was dark so she got up and went to the door to his apartment. He was standing by the window, having a cigarette. She walked over to him and he smiled at her, holding out his arm and she moved into his side, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head against his chest.

“Hi,” he said softly and she smiled and kissed his smooth skin.

“Hi,” she whispered back.

“Sorry, I just needed a smoke,” he sighed.

“Why are you apologizing?”

“Well, you woke and I wasn’t there,” he said. “I didn’t want you to think I’d just left.” Betty smiled and said nothing, wondering if he realized the significance of what he was saying.

“I wasn’t worried,” she said softly. When he was finished, they went back to bed and she fell asleep again, wrapped in his arms. 

When she woke a couple of hours later, Jughead was still beside her, talking on the phone.

“Yeah, just deal with it and try not to bother me today. I’m taking a sick day,” he chuckled. Betty smiled into her pillow as she peeked at him under her lashes. “I’m just taking the day to chill, okay? If there’s an emergency, you know where to find me.” He ended the called and set his phone to do not disturb and put it on the end table. 

“Sick day, huh?” she asked with a giggle. He turned to look at her and grinned. 

“Yeah, figured I’d cash one in,” he said with a wink. Betty let her hand wander under the blanket, moving down his chest, over his hard stomach and lower still, finding him hard and heavy in his boxers. He groaned and moved against her hand.

“Interesting,” she noted. “Doesn’t seem sick to me.” He grabbed her suddenly and she found herself on her back, with him nestled between her legs. 

“Well, it might not be sick, but it’s a little worn out,” he smirked.

“Hmmmm,” she frowned, lifting to brush herself against him. “I’m not buying that either,” she giggled.

“Naughty girl,” he murmured, his mouth pressing soft kisses along her neck. “How about we lay around in bed today, forget the world, watch movies and…”

“Eat?” she offered.

“Mmmmm, my thoughts exactly,” he growled. “Breakfast sounds good.” He started kissing his way down. Betty closed her eyes and stretched against him, biting her lip as his mouth left a trail of goosebumps down her body. 

It was a glorious breakfast indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys :) I hope you enjoyed this chapter and that it was worth all the teasing and wait lol Slow burns are fun, right? :) So after this chapter things are going to start getting scrunchy and the forces on all sides start preparing for war. Hold on to your seats!!
> 
> On that note, I will also be taking a tiny break now. I have a busy week ahead of me and I also promised a Jackson and Lila update that I want to finish this week, so there probably won't be an update for this for over a week. 
> 
> No worries, I shall return so stay tuned!!!


	13. It's Complicated

_It's really complicated to make something simple, but very simple to make something complicated._

 

Betty woke slowly, the soft lilt of Jughead’s voice rousing her from sleep. It was Monday morning and reality was setting in and it was time to leave their blissful bubble. They had spent the entire weekend basically in bed and her sore aching body was protesting even small movement. She had certainly lost her virginity in the most epic and satisfying way. The Shadow Thief certainly knew what he was doing in bed and she decided to be jealous of every woman he’d ever touched.

“Why are they here so early?” he was asking into his phone with a sigh. “It’s 7:30.” He turned his head while he listened and smiled at her, shifting to wrap his arm around her and pulling her right on top of him and she let out a small moan at the sore stretch of her body. _Sorry_ he mouthed as he listened to whomever was on the other end. “Yeah, okay, they need to give me 20 minutes……I just need 20 minutes, they can wait,” he finished, a little harshly. He ended the call and dropped the phone on his night stand. At some point during the last couple of days they had ended up in his room. She can’t quite remember if they had started in the kitchen or in the living room for that round.

“Good morning,” she said softly, resting her head on his shoulder and laying a hand on his hair. Jughead wrapped an arm around her, his hand resting on her waist and the other on her thigh, his thumb stroking the skin just under the bottom of the shorts she wore.

“Sleep well?” he asked, turning his head to kiss her temple.

“I did,” Betty said softly, smiling shyly at him. After everything they had done all weekend, she didn’t know why she suddenly felt shy. She shifted again and winced, and Jughead noticed.

“You’re sore?”

“Very,” she admitted sheepishly. “My muscles are sore and….other parts….” She finished with a deep blush.

“I’m sorry, we should have taken it easy.”

“Well, I wanted it, so you have nothing to apologize for,” Betty assured him.

“Okay, well no more of this for a while,” he insisted, his hand moving to settle on her backside. “Like a few days…” he added slowly. She smiled against his neck and wiggled against him, forgetting her soreness and let out a groan when her muscles screamed their reminder. She was beginning to wonder if Cheryl maybe didn’t know Jughead so well after all. He barely left her side all weekend and was constantly touching her. He couldn’t seem to get enough of her and even now, he was already thinking of the next time he got to have her.

“So, there will be more? It wasn’t just helping me lose my virginity and my wanting to experience sex?” she asked quietly.

“I mean, if that’s what you want, we can leave it at that,” Jughead said softly. “Is that all it was for you?” 

“No,” she whispered. “I mean, I really wanted you and now I got to have you and well….maybe we could keep doing it so I experience it without being uncomfortable and sore…” Jughead smiled and nudged her head up so he could look at her.

“You know,” he said with a smirk. “You can just admit you want to keep having sex with me because it’s amazing and not make excuses about _experiencing things_ ,” he teased.

“Do you want to keep having sex?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Because it’s amazing?”

“Yes,” he smiled. His hands moved and slid under the hemline of her shorts and she sighed and wiggled against him.

“Stop it,” Betty whispered. “You said you’d be downstairs in 20 minutes and that was 10 minutes ago.”

“I don’t care,” he murmured, pulling her head down and kissing her. She melted against him, opening for his tongue. The man certainly knew how to kiss and turn her brain to mush. After a few minutes, breathless and aroused, she pulled away. She could feel his body responding and decided to be the one with sense this time.

“You have to go,” she reminded him. 

“Ugh, fine,” he growled, giving her another quick kiss and easing her to the side. She curled up under the blankets and watched as he pulled on some clothes and grabbed his phone. She bit back a grin at his disheveled hair.

“You probably should have used your 20 to take a shower,” she giggled.

“I’ll go to the gym after the meeting and do it there,” he shrugged. Leaning down, he left her one more kiss and then he was gone. Betty burrowed under the blankets and decided to sleep just a little longer.

 

Jughead walked into the meeting room and found Archie, Pea, and Cheryl already there. Fangs and Toni, the other two who were usually present for meetings were probably on security. Jughead’s decision to up the security had everyone pulling a shift at some point. Agents Keller and Mason sat at the table looking over whatever papers they had brought.

“Well, Mr. Jones,” Keller said, not bothering to look up. “Good of you to drag yourself in here.” Jughead pulled a chair and turned it, straddling it and lighting a cigarette. He took a long drag before he bothered to look at his Serpents who were all smirking at him. Cheryl especially.

“Have a good weekend?” she asked. He took another drag and said nothing, but his lips did twitch in a slight smile and it didn’t go unnoticed.

“Pea, you owe me a Benjamin,” Archie grinned.

“Why are we handing out hundreds?” Agent Mason asked curiously.

“No reason,” Sweet Pea said with a sigh.

“What do you want, Keller?” Jughead asked, blowing smoke.

“Your hospitality is seriously lacking,” Kevin said, sitting back in his chair and adjusting his tie. “As you might recall, it’s been over a week since we questioned your sister and I promised you then that I would be by to talk to you.”

“Yeah, you said you’d come by the next day and you never showed, so why are you here now?” Jughead questioned.

“Well, we decided to dig a little deeper into Penny Peabody. From what you guys are telling us, she has developed a bit of Stockholm Syndrome.”

“Stockholm Syndrome? As in, developing a bond with her captor? Sympathizing with her captor? She sounds as twisted and demented as he is. She was plain evil and sick before Chic got a hold of her, I’m thinking, so I wouldn’t call it bonding, I’d just call it _two pigs finding their way in the mud_.”

“Well, you’re right,” Kevin said with a sigh. “Up until now she was just a missing woman linked to Chic and since we knew from the evidence and M.O. that he’s the one who got her, we didn’t really dig into her background and her parents sure didn’t offer up any of this. We dug shit up from way back, right back to her pre-teen years.” Jughead raised an eyebrow and reached for the file Kevin shoved his way.

“She has a rap sheet a mile long. Most of it was sealed because she was a minor during a lot of the offences, but she’s been causing trouble since she was eight. Getting into fights, mostly instigated by her. Throwing rocks at neighbours pets. Pets disappearing when she was around. Setting fires. Drugs and alcohol problems. Assault charges. This woman is a serious problem. Once she turned 18 not much changed. She got in trouble and her parents got her out of it.”

“Jesus,” Jughead muttered, paging through the file. He was suddenly simmering with anger as he remembered the things Betty had told him that this woman had done.

“Sadly, her and Chic are a match made is sicko heaven. Either he knew about her and targeted her or purpose, or he got really fucking lucky and managed to kidnap a woman just like him,” Mason observed. Jughead threw the file on the table, sickened to his stomach at the thought of either of them being anywhere near Betty. 

“So, from the info you guys had on Penny, you are clearly not sharing everything you know and that shit doesn’t fly,” Keller said, his voice angry. “You have a source close to Chic and I want to know who it is.”

“You brought us in on this to steal a fucking list for you,” Jughead snapped. “Did you really think we wouldn’t dig around on our own?”

“Jughead, we’re on the same god damned side here!” Keller barked. “Working together will get this shit done faster, you do realize that, don’t you?” Jughead said nothing and lit another cigarette, turning his chair and resting his elbows on his knees.

“What I understand, is that you want the list so you can bring the whole operation down. What you told me is that Chic Cooper is just a middle man and really doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things,” Jughead said casually. “So, I’m going to make it my duty to make sure he’s taken care of because knowing the feds, you’ll make a deal with this fucker for info on the bigger fish and he’s going to be out in 5 to 10.”

“That’s not going to happen for fuck’s sake. We’ve got him on several counts of aggravated kidnapping, murder, attempted murder, abuse, false imprisonment; I mean, this guy is never going to get any kind of fucking deal,” Kevin insisted. “Ever! We’re willing to let you guys skip the damn country to get him and his associates.” 

“Well, I can share what we have, but first, you need to tell me a few things,” Jughead said with a shrug.

“What exactly do you want to know that we haven’t already told you? We give you our files, for God’s sake,” Moose exclaimed. Jughead looked at Archie and saw his look of curiosity.

“How much do you trust your team?” he asked Keller. Archie realized then what Jughead was after and smiled.

“I trust them completely,” Kevin said firmly. The rest of the Serpents had figured out what Jughead was after and Cheryl sat on the edge of the table and folded her arms across her chest.

“You’re 100% sure that everyone on your team is trustworthy,” she asked mildly. Kevin frowned at her and then looked back at Jughead.

“Why are you asking me that?” he asked. “I am completely sure that everyone on my team is trustworthy. I picked them myself.”

“What about the team that used to follow us around?” Sweet Pea asked.

“They have all been reassigned and didn’t really care either way. In fact, some of them were glad because you bored them,” Moose shrugged.

“We bored them?” Jughead asked with a laugh. “Well, had we known we were being watched, we might have livened things up a bit,” he said sarcastically.

“Why are you asking?” Kevin wondered, leaning back in his chair. Jughead took a long drag, blowing it out slowly before answering.

“One of the names on Chic’s associate list that you gave us,” he started. “Reggie Mantle.”

“What about him?”

“He’s our contact. He used to be a Serpent.” Kevin and Moose looked at each other in surprise.

“What? He’s not in any Serpent files.”

“He got kicked out when he was 18 for running his own merchandise sales,” Jughead explained. “It was probably before you started watching us. He somehow ended up with Chic and once you’re in, there’s no getting out.”

“Why didn’t you tell us this sooner?” Kevin demanded to know.

“That’s neither here nor there at this point,” Archie interjected. “He told us a few days ago that someone fed Chic information about Jughead. He knows his name. His real name.” Kevin looked at Jughead in surprise.

“And you think a Fed leaked him the info?” 

“Well, he got it from somewhere and the only people that know my real name these days are the Serpents and the feds.”

“And you don’t suspect a Serpent?” Mason asked.

“I don’t know why a Serpent would leak information for a hundred grand. Every Serpent has enough money to retire on, so becoming a traitor for the cost of one of their fucking cars seems rather pointless,” Pea explained.

“You trust every single Serpent?” Kevin asked with a tilt of his head as he looked at the leader. Jughead said nothing and the agent smirked. “I’m going to tell you right now that I completely trust my team, but if it makes you feel better, I’ll dig a little, but I think maybe you should do a little digging of your own.” Jughead said nothing but gave a small nod of agreement. “And now, back to Penny Peabody; if she has sided and shacked up with Chic Cooper, I’m going to need to talk with his sister.”

“No.”

“Jughead, we need all the…”

“I said _no_.”

“This is not how this shit works,” Kevin snapped. 

“She knows nothing about her except how Penny abused her, that’s it,” Jughead snapped back. “You’re not talking to her.”

“Wait, Penny abused her?” Cheryl asked angrily. Jughead didn’t answer her, keeping his angry gaze on the agent.

“Alright, fine,” Keller said with a sigh, getting to his feet. “But just so you know, we’ll now be digging into Mr. Mantle and keep our eye on him.”

“No, you’re not,” Jughead said angrily, standing up and getting in the man’s face. “No eyes on him. I don’t care if you dig into his life, but he is my contact and if eyes are on him, they’re on me and we’re already watching him. Any more and it’s bound to draw the attention of his boss.”

“Fine,” Kevin snapped. “But if I find you’re keeping anymore shit from me, we’re going to rethink this deal and make new negotiations. Is that clear?”

“Crystal.” 

The agents left and Jughead stood to his feet and he rolled his eyes when he noticed everyone staring at him and grinning. “I’m hitting the gym,” he stated and turned to leave the room.

“Yeah, I could use a good workout,” Archie said, hurrying after him, with Sweet Pea on his heels. Cheryl grinned. The boys were as eager for info as she was. She headed back upstairs.

 

“Betty, are you decent?”

Betty happened to be soaking in a bubble bath in her room when Cheryl called out. She sank a little further into the bubbles and called back that she was. The red head and Toni appeared in the doorway of the bathroom, grins on their faces. Betty flushed and sank down a little further, knowing exactly why they were there.

“So, how was your weekend?” Toni asked with a smirk.

“Good,” Betty said, blushing even more furiously and once again sinking lower.

“You’re about to drown yourself sweetie,” Cheryl laughed. “It won’t work to disappear under the water.” Betty sighed and pulled herself up, pulling the bubbles to cover her chest.

“Jughead would choke if he walked in here right now,” Toni said with a giggle. Betty blushed an even deeper red at that and Cheryl grabbed the chair at the end of the tub and sat in it next to the counter.

“Really? We’re going to do this in here?” Betty asked.

“Well, shall we move? You seem comfortable,” the red head shrugged.

“Let’s get started, shall we?” Toni smirked, leaning against the counter. Betty knew they wouldn’t leave until they had all the dirty info and she almost laughed at their eager faces. “Everybody is well aware that you and Jughead came into this apartment on Friday night and neither of you left until this morning, so it’s pretty safe to assume that things probably got sexy.”

“Not to mention, on Friday night when I was looking for you and Jughead was so rudely telling me to go away, you sounded very….what’s the word I’m looking for….” Cheryl wondered, tapping a perfectly manicured red nail against her lip.

“I believe you came back to our apartment and told me that Betty sounded like she was getting felt up, at the very least,” Toni offered. “So Betty, were you getting felt up?” she grinned.

“Never mind all that,” Cheryl said with a wave of her hand. “They were already making out before Friday, I want to know if you guys had sex.”

“Well, let’s not ease into it or anything,” Betty said, rolling her eyes.

“You did, didn’t you,” Cheryl grinned.

“Yeah….”

“I need details,” Toni demanded, pulling herself up to it on the counter. “Like, all the fun stuff.”

“Seriously?”

“Ummmm….yes!” both girls echoed the last word.

“It was really nice.”

“Nice?”

“Okay, it was amazing. He was amazing. We basically didn’t leave the bed all weekend and now I ache everywhere and things hurt and all I want to do is soak in this tub for the next week,” Betty explained.

“Okay, you were a virgin, did either of you maybe think to not go so hard at this the first time?” Toni asked with a wince.

“Well, honestly, it really didn’t hurt that much and if we had stopped after the first, or even the second time, I’d probably be fine, but we….”

“Kept going?” Cheryl said, stating the obvious. 

“A few times,” Betty said with another blush. “It was just so…he was so….”

“He’s good?” Toni wondered with a grin.

“Well, I have nobody to compare him to, but yeah, I’ll say he’s good,” Betty sighed. “Gentle, thoughtful, thorough. Talkative,” she giggled. Both women stared at her in surprise. “Yeah, as moody as he always is, he sure talks a lot in bed. If he isn’t teasing, he’s got the dirtiest damn mouth,” Betty laughed.

“You’re lying,” Cheryl said in shock.

“I swear I’m not,” Betty exclaimed. “He talked a lot, teasing, telling me what he was going to do to me; I really just couldn’t help it. I spent the weekend making sure he did everything he told me he wanted to do.”

“Okay, do you mind if I bring up other women he’s dated? Or rather, slept with?” Cheryl asked quickly. Betty just shrugged with indifference. “I talked to a couple of them on occasion, because I’m nosey and I got the same story every time. While they did say he was good in bed and certainly knew what he was doing, he was pretty quiet and only said the bare minimum. He didn’t tease, and while he apparently is thorough like you said, he didn’t prolong things or voice things and just made sure they had a good time and then they would leave when it was over.”

“Well, that doesn’t sound like any fun,” Betty frowned. “Why would a woman sign up for something that sounds rather robotic?”

“Well, good sex and a good orgasm don’t have to go hand in hand with all the other fun stuff. If that’s all they were after, a man doesn’t need to talk or be a tease to provide that. I mean, if he hadn’t teased and talked a lot and just used his body to do the communicating, would it have still been good?”

“Well, yeah,” Betty smiled. “His body talked pretty damn good too.”

“There you go,” Toni laughed. “But it seems like you got things that our boy has been holding back from everyone else. You realize what that means, don’t you?”

“What?” 

“You’re the special woman that we’ve all been waiting for to open Jughead’s heart.”

“No, stop,” Betty said quickly, sitting up straight and forgetting about her nudity. “Please don’t say that. I don’t need that kind of pressure. We’re just….”

“Good together?” Cheryl offered softly. “You’ve got great boobs by the way; Jughead probably had a lot of fun with those.” Betty gaped at her and looked down, realizing she was completely exposed. She flushed and sank back into the bubbles. “You guys are good together and I’ve been telling you from the beginning; you’re different. He’s different with you. He cares about you Betty and I don’t think for even a second that this is just sex for him.”

“Well, I really was very persuasive and he….”

“Oh for God’s sake,” Toni muttered. “Betty, if Jughead hadn’t wanted to sleep with you, you could have tap danced naked across his nose and he wouldn’t have slept with you. I’ve seen women throw themselves at him for years. Very sexy women, beautiful women. Christ, I’ve even seen some beg and if he didn’t want them, they got nothing. I’m pretty sure if it wasn’t just good old sexual frustration and just needing a woman rather than a hand once in a while, he’d never sleep with anyone.”

“That sounds cold,” Betty laughed.

“Sometimes people just need sex,” Cheryl shrugged. “Especially once you’ve had it. I mean, obviously you can be celibate, but if you don’t need to be….that’s why Jughead always made sure the women were just after sex as well. Easy, no feelings involved and when it was over, neither cared.”

“And then you came along,” Toni grinned. “From what you’re saying, there’s no way this is just sex.”

“Which means, if it ends….” Betty blinked when she felt tears sting her eyes.

“Well why would it end?” Cheryl quickly asked.

“Because he doesn’t want any relationship.”

“Well, whether he wants one or not, he walked right into one. We’ve always told Jughead that one day, whether he liked it or not, some woman was going to sneak her way in there and we were right.”

“Well,” Betty said, her voice determined. “I refuse to put any pressure on him. If he decides he doesn’t want this, he can end it and I won’t complain.”

“Yes, but you would be heartbroken, wouldn’t you,” Toni asked softly. Betty sighed and glared at them.

“You’re completely ruining my weekend,” she snapped. “It was amazing. I had sex for the first time with a man so damn hot, I still don’t know how the hell I managed to end up in his bed and it was the most incredible experience of my life and no matter what happens after this, I’ll never forget it as long as I live. It was everything and I’ll probably never find someone that good with my body ever again if this ends, but bloody hell, the memories alone will tide me over.”

“Well fuck,” Toni sighed. “I almost want to have sex with him, just to see if he’s really that good”

“Trust me, he is,” Betty said insisted.

“Lucky bitch,” both women sighed and she started to laugh.

“Aren’t you lesbians?”

“Bisexual,” they both spoke again. Betty was surprised at that.

“So you’ve both been with men? Or you just like both and haven’t gone there yet?” She asked.

“I was before Cheryl came along,” Toni explained. 

“Me as well, before I ran away from home I lost my virginity to a guy and when me and Toni got together we….” The red head trailed off.

“What?” Betty asked, leaning forward curiously.

“We may or may not have had a threesome with Archie,” Toni finished with a pained wince. Betty just stared back and forth between them for a moment, in complete surprise and then she started to giggle.

“Oh my god, does Jughead know?”

“He….uh….he saw Archie leave in the morning and figured it out pretty fast and didn’t talk to any of us for like a week,” Cheryl laughed. It took them a while to stop laughing when they managed to get a hold of themselves, Cheryl gave Betty a soft smile.

“I’m really glad your first time went well,” she said gently. “Most of us are not so lucky and I know you don’t want me to say this, but I really think you and Jughead have something special. In the midst of all this chaos and darkness with your brother, you have found each other and you need to try and hold on to it, okay?” Betty only nodded and Cheryl stood and turned to Toni. “Let her have some peace and quiet while she soaks away her aches,” she said with a wink. Betty flushed and lay back again as the women left. 

She did realize that she and Jughead had something special. She had realized it over the course of the weekend. The way he touched her and the way he looked at her. She may not be the most experienced, well okay, she had no experience, but she wasn’t an idiot. Jughead cared about her. It was more than just sex, but for how long? He didn’t want to give his heart away. She hadn’t wanted to either because she had thought from the beginning that once this was all over with her brother, she would move on with her life but did she want to? Would she be able to? No, she hadn’t wanted to give her heart away, but it seemed like Jughead was slowly but surely taking it, piece by piece.

 

“So, you have a good weekend?” Archie asked with a grin as he swung at his partner inside the boxing ring.

“Sorry, not gonna happen,” Jughead huffed as he ducked the punch.

“Come on man,” Pea laughed from where he was hanging on to the ropes on the side. “We didn’t see either one of you for 2 days. You spend the weekend on opposite sides of the apartment? Or were you closer together?” he asked with a smirk. 

“You want to step in here?” Jughead asked, pausing to glare at the man. It was a mistake and Archie caught him in the jaw with a left hook. He stumbled back against the ropes with a curse.

“Point,” the red head yelled with a grin.

“And just for that, I’m not telling you shit,” Jughead informed him as he grabbed his jaw and made sure it still moved right. He tilted his head from side to side, stretching his neck and bounced back into the middle of the ring. “Bring it, Andrews.” There was no more talking for the next 20 minutes as they showed off their skill and finesse in the ring. By the time they were done, they had both delivered numerous solid blows and had sweat pouring off them. They both dropped onto the bench outside the ring and caught the water bottles that Pea threw at them.

“Jug?” Arch spoke after a while.

“I’m listening.”

“She’s different. You won’t be able to just walk away and neither will she.”

“I’m aware.”

“Are you?” Archie asked, wiping at his forehead with a towel. 

“Why do you think I was trying to stay away from her,” Jughead asked quietly.

“Because you care, or because she cares?” Pea asked curiously.

“Both,” he sighed.

“So, what are you going to do?” Archie asked. Jughead merely shrugged and stood, wrapping the towel around his neck. 

“I need a shower,” he muttered, heading toward the dressing room.

“Well, I was right,” Sweet Pea grinned.

“How so?” Archie asked, watching Jughead disappear into the locker room.

“He’s falling in love with her.”

“Yup.”

 

Later that afternoon, Betty was wandering around the building and found herself at the safe room, watching Archie messing around with a safe door through the window. Her curiosity got the better of her and she knocked as she entered the room. Archie looked at her in surprise and then gave her a warm smile.

“Hi there,” he said, his voice welcoming and friendly. “You looking for Jug?”

“I wasn’t, actually. Just kind of wandering around and watched you for a bit and it seemed interesting. What exactly are you doing?” Betty asked. Archie seemed surprised at her interest and looked at the door.

“Well, this is a replica of a safe door I have to get through to get some shit for the FBI and in order to get in, I need to drill the lock. Problem is, I have to drill through glass and for some reason, I just can’t do it with this one. I keep breaking it and if I can’t figure out a way to do it, we’ll have to break the code to open the door and we won’t have time for that. Too risky,” he explained.

“What happens if the glass breaks?”

“The steels rods inside the door slide out and into the wall of the safe. There is no getting through after that unless you have a special code and key, which we won’t have.”

“Nobody can figure out why you’re breaking the glass?” she asked, looking at it.

“Well, Jughead tries, but he’s more about the codes and keys. As far as the drilling goes and why the glass is breaking, he has no clue.”

“Maybe I can help?” she offered.

“Well, it sure couldn’t hurt,” Archie shrugged. “I just added another piece of glass and if you want to stand on the side right here and watch for my drill to come through and see if you can see what’s happening. The bit has to go through this cylinder right here and the glass is just on the other side.” Betty nodded and grabbed the safety glasses he offered. She watched carefully as he drilled through and she saw the bit exit and touch the glass and instantly it cracked. She shook her head and stepped back.

“I have no idea,” she frowned. 

“Yeah, it’s been a bit complicated. This is a glass drill and when I drill the piece without going through the lock, it works fine,” Archie explained, showing her a few pieces he had done.

“What’s all this?” came a soft amused voice from the doorway. Betty turned and felt her stomach flutter when she saw Jughead lean against the door frame, arms folded across his chest.

“Betty’s trying to help me figure out why the glass is breaking,” Archie informed him. Jughead pulled away from the door and walked over to her and to Betty’s surprise, placed a kiss on her temple before leaning in to see the latest damage. She flushed and looked at Archie and he either hadn’t seen the intimate gesture, or he didn’t care. He finished replacing the glass, which had already gone from full panel to just a small one behind the lock and he got ready to drill again. 

“Do me a favor?” Betty suddenly asked. They both looked at her, waiting. “Can you guide the drill through without it actually drilling? Like, just push it through the cylinder so it comes out and touches the glass.”

“Yup, holes already there from all my drilling,” Archie said, slowly pushing the drill through.

“Just so it pops out, right before it touches the glass.” He did as she instructed and she held up her hand and leaned in, looking closely and then grinned. “I figured,” she said excitedly.

“What?” they both asked curiously, leaning in to look.

“It must be a security measure,” she explained, pointing to the drill tip. “In case someone tries to drill through. The angle of the cylinder you’re drilling through is just slightly raised so your drill bit is hitting the glass at the slightest of angles instead of point to glass and it instantly cracks.” She held the drill in place as they both leaned in to look.

“Son of a bitch,” Archie muttered in surprise. “She’s right! How the fuck did we miss this?” They both turned to look at her in astonishment. “I’ve been working on this for like 3 weeks. I’m supposed to be the expert,” he laughed.

“Sometimes a fresh set of eyes helps and something complicated becomes simple,” she shrugged. “Now you just have to figure out a way to drill through straight.” They both just stared at her and she blushed under their perusal.

“I…umm….i used to help my dad fix cars and trouble shooting was something that came easy to me. Things would come quickly to me when there was a problem. I guess I haven’t lost the skill,” she shrugged.

“Well, fuck, you’re hired!” Archie exclaimed. “Jughead, get this woman a Serpent jacket.” Betty bit her lip and Jughead grinned. “Tell me you can stay and figure this out with me,” he begged. Betty turned to look at Jughead.

“You don’t need my permission,” he laughed. “I was looking for you to let you know I’m headed over to see Jellybean in case you’d be wondering where I was,” he said sheepishly. Archie hid his smile as he made himself busy so they could have a minute. “Help as long as you like.”

“Okay,” Betty smiled and then flushed as Jughead dropped another kiss, this time on her forehead and headed for the door. After he was gone, she turned to look at Archie and found him grinning.

“So,” he said. “You have a good weekend?” She went red and he burst out laughing.

 

Jughead found his sister in a sitting position and he smiled, happy she was able move around some. All her bruises had faded and her broken bones healing. Midge had figure just maybe three more weeks until the doctors were sure her lungs wouldn’t need to be near machines anymore in case of collapse. She still wheezed just slightly and got tired easily, but she was getting there and he was grateful.

“Hi Jug,” she said happily when she saw him. He leaned over and kissed her forehead before settling back in the chair. “Dad was here earlier.”

“How was that?”

“He was alright,” she shrugged. “He doesn’t really have much to say. He complained about you, of course.” Jughead rolled his eyes.

“What’s he bitching about this time?”

“Someone you’re supposedly protecting,” Jellybean said curiously. Jughead went still and then he let out a sigh. It was actually the reason he had come to visit today, to tell Jellybean what had been going on. Typical that his father would beat him to the punch and say more than he needed to.

“Yeah, I actually want to talk to you about that,” he said slowly, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees, his hands folded between them.

“Well, this sounds serious,” she said with a smile, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

“It’s about the person I’m protecting. Who she is.”

“Well, who is she?”

“Her name is Betty Cooper,” Jughead said slowly. Jellybean seemed confused and shook her head. 

“Am I supposed to know her?” she asked.

“Her brother is Chic Cooper.” She stared at him for a moment and then her eyes went wide and she sat up a little straighter, wincing at the effort.

“You’re protecting his sister?” she asked, horrified. “The man who shot me? His sister? She’s at home? With the Serpents?”

“Yes to everything.”

“Why?”

“We rescued her,” Jughead explained. His leg started bouncing and he felt himself get nervous. He needed his sister to understand and to accept Betty, especially now that they had moved past him just protecting her.

“Please explain,” his sister begged. “Explain why the sister of the man who shot me is in our home and why I’m supposed to be okay with this.”

“After you ended up in the hospital, we got information that Chic Cooper had a sister. We were told that he was keeping her prisoner and that he sold his other sister and where Betty was being kept. I put a plan into action to kidnap her as revenge of sorts, sister for sister type thing. We went at night, planning to take her in the hopes of drawing him out. We didn’t expect to find what we found,” Jughead explained.

“What did you find?” she asked with a frown.

“He was definitely keeping her prisoner. She’s 21 and hadn’t been part of the real world for several years and the men guarding her told us that she had been sold and was being picked up the following day. So at that point, while we still wanted to use her to draw him out, it turned into a rescue mission. And again, we were completely unprepared for what we found once we got past the locks of her room.”

“What?”

Jughead pulled his phone out and found the picture of Betty he had taken a few days after she had been rescued. He took it without her permission as a reminder to himself just what Chic had done, not that he needed reminding but the visual aid kept his anger at a nice simmer until he had the man. He handed to phone to Jellybean who took it and let out a horrified gasp when she saw the emaciated woman in the photo.

“What the hell?” she gasped in a whisper.

“She was beaten and starved and honestly, I don’t know how she could even stand. I don’t know how she was alive.”

“He did this to his own sister?” 

“Yes,” Jughead said with a sigh. “So, I basically became her protector and she’s been getting healthy again and basically discovering the world.” He took the phone and found a picture he’d taken of her the previous week and handed it back. 

“Wow,” JB said quietly. “She’s actually really beautiful. She…..she looks a little like him….” She whispered shakily. “Except in a beautiful and kind way, not evil and sinister.” She stared at the picture a while longer and then she frowned again. “So, what happens when this is all over? I’m assuming she won’t care if you catch and kill her brother? What happens then? Will you be done protecting her then? She’ll go on with her own life?” Jughead let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. These were the questions he wished didn’t come up.

“Well, that was the plan…” he said slowly, taking the phone when she handed it back.

“ _Was_ the plan? Did it change?”

“I’m not sure,” Jughead said softly. “Maybe.”

“What do you mean, Jug?” she asked, searching his face and then she went still. “Oh God,” she whispered. “Dad rambled quite a bit when he was talking about you and I remember now him saying something about someone you were protecting, your latest fling. Your latest fling? Jughead? Are you sleeping with her?” 

Jughead let out a sigh and suddenly itched for a cigarette. He was going to kick his father’s ass. He lifted his head and looked at his sister and her eyes widened.

“Are you serious? Wow, is that like some weird poetic justice or something? A man tries to kill your sister so you fuck his?”

“Jelly!” he snapped.

“Well, honestly Jughead,” she said hoarsely. “Of all the women you could start a fling with, you pick Chic Cooper’s sister? I mean, yes, she’s beautiful, but…”

“It’s not….we’re not just….i mean….” Jughead didn’t really know what to say and stumbled over his words.

“Jug?”

He looked at her, holding her gaze.

“Oh my god,” she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. “You like her.”

“Well, yeah, she’s sweet. Everyone likes her.”

“No, you care about her, that kind of _you like her_ ,” she said, shaking her head. “The first time in your life that you actually care about a woman beyond sex and it’s Chic Cooper’s sister?” Jellybean was almost yelling when she finished and Jughead felt his heart twist as she fell back, wheezing and blinking away the tears that threatened to fall.

“Jelly, it’s complicated, it just sort of…”

“Stop it,” she snapped. “Don’t tell me it just sort of happened. Do you really expect me to come home and be okay with you and this woman sleeping together? Being together? She fucking looks like him, Jughead! I’m supposed to look at her face every day and….” 

“Stop,” he said quickly, standing and taking her hand. She was trying to catch her breath and he felt awful for having upset her. “You’ll make yourself sick.” She closed her eyes and took some steadying breaths and he helped her sip some water. Once she calmed, she opened her eyes and looked at him and he wished her eyes weren’t filled with pain. “She’s nothing like her brother, Jelly. She’s kind and sweet and innocent and she wants him dead just like we do. She thinks he’s a monster and she can’t even understand why we’re taking care of her after what he’s done to you. She’s the complete opposite of him.”

“I can’t do this right now,” his sister whispered, a tear slipping from her eye. He understood her reaction. The idea of having to face someone who looked like and was related to the man who tried to kill you was more than she could bear at the moment. “I’d like to nap now,” she insisted and he sighed and leaned down to kiss her forehead.”

“I love you,” he said softly and then he left the room. 

 

Despite Jellybean’s reaction to that fact that he was involved with Betty, all Jughead wanted to do was see her. First though, he decided to pay his father a visit. He made his way to his apartment and banged on the door and waited for the okay before walking in. FP was sprawled on the couch, watching a game of some sort, nursing a bottle of beer.

“Well, what brings you up here?” he asked, sitting up and turning off the TV. Jughead dropped himself into the chair, his legs sprawled in front of him, his elbow resting on the armrest of the chair. He brushed his thumb across his lip as he regarded his father, trying to figure out if the man had it in him to go against his son in the worst way.

“I need to ask you something,” Jughead said slowly, pulling his smokes out. While he preferred to smoke by the window of his apartment, not wanting the smell to permeate everything, his father didn’t care and he lit one and took a drag.

“You going to lecture me about something? Because I should probably tell you, I’m not in the mood.”

“Well, since we’re going there, I didn’t appreciate you talking to JB about Betty,” Jughead snapped.

“I didn’t say much,” FP shrugged. 

“A fling dad? You said I was having a fling?”

“Aren’t you?”

“That’s not what I’m doing and it’s really none of your business,” Jughead said angrily.

“Whatever,” FP sighed. “Why else are you here? You finally going to include me in the shit going on around here?”

“Someone leaked Chic Cooper my name. Was it you?” Jughead came right out and asked. FP looked at him in surprise and then his eyes flashed with anger.

“You better have a god damned good reason to assume I would do something fucked up like that,” he fumed. 

“You’re not making it a secret that you don’t like anything I do and that you don’t respect me as leader. Could wanting to get rid of me be that far fetched?” Jughead asked.

“I may be a lot of things Jughead, but I’m no fucking traitor, that I can promise you,” FP snapped. Jughead studied him a while and then nodded.

“I believe you.”

“Fucking right you believe me and the fact that you even thought to ask is a fucking insult.”

“Do you blame me?” Jughead snapped. “You’ve been a complete asshole since this whole thing started. What about Tall Boy? Do you trust him?”

“I trust him with my life, boy,” FP assured him. “We go back longer than you’ve been alive. He would never betray the Serpents.”

“Do I need to ask him?”

“No, I speak for him,” FP insisted angrily. “If it’s a Serpent doing the betraying, it isn’t anyone from the old crew, that I can promise.” Jughead sighed and ran his hand over his face.

“Well, Chic’s getting information from someone. So far, just my name but if he gets wind of where we live?”

“How do you know all this?” FP asked. Jughead remained quiet and his father let out an irritated huff. “Son, I know we don’t get along and I haven’t exactly been cooperative, but I swear on JB’s life, you can trust me!”

“If I tell you, it stays with you,” Jughead insisted. “You tell nobody, not even Tall Boy! I don’t give a fuck how close you are because I don’t know who to trust.”

“I give you my word.”

“Reggie Mantle is in Chic’s gang. He’s feeding me information.”

“Reggie? Like, our Reggie? That we kicked out?”

“The one and only.”

“How the fuck?”

“Long story, but he’s working with us because he can’t get away from Chic. He’s also the reason JB fought to get away from them. He told her to. He knew it was a possibility she might die, but he didn’t want her to get sold, so he told her to fight,” Jughead explained.

“I guess we owe him then,” FP said quietly. 

“Well, we’ll try to make sure he doesn’t die in all this,” Jughead said. “That’s about all we can do at this point.” He stood and snuffed his smoke in the ashtray on the coffee table. “If you tell anybody any of this, you’re done, do you understand?” he said firmly.

“I understand,” FP insisted. Jughead nodded and left the apartment. He hoped and prayed he hadn’t just made a mistake.

 

It was past 7:00 when he finally entered his apartment. He saw the light on in Betty’s room and walked over, knocking on the door frame. She was sitting on the bed paging through a magazine and she smiled when she saw him.

“Have you eaten?” he asked. She shook her head. “Well, how about I jump in the shower and then we make pasta or something.”

“Okay, that sounds good,” Betty smiled. He headed back to his room and showered quickly, pulling on some pajama pants and a tshirt and head back to the kitchen where Betty was waiting at the island with her magazine.

“I seriously can’t believe I was locked in a room for a couple years and when I finally get out, the Kardashians are still relevant,” she said in surprise.

“Who?”

“Exactly,” she laughed. She rested her elbows on the island as she paged through the magazine and he let his eyes wander over her and had to hold back from picking her up and carrying her to bed. Even in pajama pants and his t-shirt, which was far too big and looked enormous on her, she still looked sexy as hell. He was getting used to her in his shirt and he couldn’t think of anything he liked more. Resting his hands on the edge of the counter he leaned closer she smiled, lifting her eyes to meet his. 

“You doing okay?” he asked softly. 

“Yes, I had a good day,” she nodded.

“I mean….you know…” he stumbled over his words and winced inwardly. He felt like an awkward school boy. “Are you sore?” he managed gently. She blushed and he felt his stomach clench. He wondered if she was blushing all over like she did in bed. 

“I’m fine,” she whispered. “It isn’t bad.”

“You sure?” he murmured, leaning closer and brushing his nose against her cheek. She shifted and pressed her mouth to his.

“Yeah.” Her lips brushed his as she spoke and he pressed closer, kissing her deeper. “How was your day?” she asked when he pulled back. He shrugged and kissed her again. Her hand lifted to his jaw and she caressed gently. “You have a couple of bruises. What happened?”

“Me and Archie were boxing,” he explained. “It’s okay, they don’t hurt much. How was your afternoon with him? You guys figure out how to not break the glass?”

“Not yet, but we’ll keep working on it,” Betty said softly. “You look stressed,” she observed, moving her fingers across his forehead. He lowered it to hers and took a deep breath. “Do you want to talk about it?” 

“Not right now,” Jughead said, kissing her yet again. He really couldn’t help himself. She smelled good and she tasted good and all he wanted was to take her clothes off and-

“Well, isn’t this domestic,” Cheryl said with a grin as she suddenly opened the door and walked. Betty flushed and pulled away and Jughead wiped a thumb across his lips and glared at the red head.

“Can you fucking knock?” he barked.

“I never knock,” she reminded him. 

“Well, start or I’ll change the door code,” Jughead threatened.

“It’s weird, seeing a woman in your kitchen,” Cheryl observed as she leaned against the counter.

“She’s been here for over a month” Jughead said, irritated. “Stop being weird.”

“Well, okay fine, it’s weird seeing you kiss a woman in your kitchen.”

“What do you want?” he sighed. Betty was back to paging through the magazine, her face still red and trying to ignore them.

“You know, I never saw his other women around the apartment,” Cheryl observed.

“I swear to God Cheryl,” Jughead snapped. “Stop fucking talk about other women I’ve been with. It’s annoying and it’s fucking disrespectful to the one I’m with now!” Jughead winced when he realized what he’d said and both women looked at him in surprise. Betty seemed frozen and Cheryl grinned. “You know what I mean,” he growled before either had a chance to say anything.

“Please explain,” Cheryl insisted, clearly delighted by his choice of words.

“What…..do you want,” he said through clenched teeth.

“Jesus you’re bitchy. You’d think after an entire weekend of getting laid you’d be in a better mood,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “I just came by to tell you that the rubies we missed last month are back in play. We’ll talk about it tomorrow,” she said brightly as she turned in dramatic fashion and left the apartment. Jughead didn’t look at Betty and pushed away from the island and started banging through cupboards, looking for ingredients. He felt Betty’s hand on his arm and he stopped and let out a sigh, turning to look at her.

“It’s okay Jughead,” she smiled. “I know you didn’t mean anything by it.” 

Well, now he just felt like an ass.

“I’m not trying to act like there’s nothing between us,” he said slowly, trying to figure out what to say. 

“I understand,” Betty nodded. “We slept together; it doesn’t mean we’re in a relationship now.”

He didn’t like the sound of that either.

“But…there is something….” He said slowly. “I mean, we’re….”

“Jughead?”

“What?” he sighed.

“Stop overthinking everything. You’re making it complicated,” she said softly, her hands moving under his shirt, smoothing across his skin. He lifted his hands and cupped her head, settling his mouth over hers. It was a hungry, eager kiss and she pulled her hands out from under his shirt and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself against him. Long moments later, he finally pulled away and she whimpered in disappointment.

“How about that pasta?” he asked with a smile, his hands gripping her hips.

“Well, I am hungry,” she said as she stepped back. “Feed me.” Jughead chuckled and turned to get it going. They were just finishing up eating as they watched TV when Jughead got a text that he needed to address something in the security room and he left in his pajamas and barefoot. 

“Well, that can’t be sanitary,” Betty observed as she started to clean up.

He was gone for 2 hours and Betty crawled into bed with a book when she got bored of the TV. She was ready to call it a night when he finally came back and she smiled when he came into her room to use the washroom and climbed into bed with her.

“Everything alright?” she asked softly when he settled back on the pillow with a long drawn out sigh. He seemed exhausted. She rolled closer and rested against him and he wrapped an arm around her.

“Yeah. There was a van parked in front of our building and it seemed suspicious so we watched it a while and when it didn’t move, we took the tunnels to our other vehicle and…”

“Wait, what? There are tunnels?”

“We use the engineering tunnels when we don’t want to be spotted leaving the place,” he explained.

“Oh, good thinking.”

“Anyway, we drove up behind it to see what was up and it was two teens making out,” he explained. “Fucking wasted two hours on horny teenagers.” She let out a giggle and he rolled so he leaned over her. “Is that funny?” he asked. Betty lifted her hand and brushed the curl off this forehead that always fell over his eye. 

“A little,” she said softly. She smoothed her finger along the crease above his brown and he closed his eyes against the gentle caress. “Tell me about your day,” she said softly. “You seem exhausted. Your sister doing alright?” Jughead shifted onto his back again and stared at the ceiling. 

“I told her about you,” he said after a while and Betty looked at him in surprise.

“What did you say?” she asked.

“I told her how we found you and who you are and how we’re protecting you. And since my father has a big mouth and he had been there before me, he mentioned I was having a fling….because he’s an idiot…. and so while he was just assuming without actually knowing that we were sleeping together and went blabbing to her, I ended up trying to explain what we were doing and so…..yeah, she knows we’re sleeping together.” He was quiet for a while and Betty wasn’t sure what she was supposed to say. She wasn’t surprised by his next statement. “She wasn’t happy and basically threw me out of her hospital room.”

Betty sat up slowly and looked down at him. 

“Maybe….maybe you should sleep in your room,” she said quietly. “I don’t…”

“Betty,” he said, quickly sitting up and running his hand along her arm.

“I don’t want to upset your sister after everything she’s been through,” she said, her eyes filling with tears. “My brother has hurt her enough. I don’t want to add to it.” A tear slipped down her cheek and he gently brushed it away.

“You want me to go?” he asked softly. Betty looked at his handsome face. His blue eyes that calmed her in her dreams. His mouth that had brought her so much pleasure. “Do you want me to go?” he whispered again. She shook her head, another tear falling and he wrapped his arms around her and crushed her to him. 

Darkness had brought them together and he was the only light she had known in so long, she didn’t want to let him go. When his mouth found hers, she returned his kiss eagerly, suddenly feeling like her time with him was short, feeling like she needed to take every moment with him and fill her heart with them. Her hands framed his face as he lowered her to the sheets and when he pulled away, she saw the desperation and need in his eyes and she knew he was thinking exactly like her. 

Their time together suddenly seemed to have an expiration date. 

She grasped at his shirt, pulling it up while he helped her get rid of it and her hands ran over his skin as he dipped his head to kiss her again.

“Please Jug,” she pleaded, pressing closer, suddenly needing him all over her. 

“Baby, you’re too sore,” he groaned when her hand slipped into his pants. 

“Use your mouth,” she moaned as he pushed hers down, his hand moving between her legs, despite his words. 

So he did, oh God, he did. 

His mouth, his tongue. He had her naked in moments and crying his name as he sent her hurtling over the edge twice before she pulled him up her body, shoving his boxers down his hips and wrapping her hand around him. 

“I don’t care,” she gasped when he hesitated. “I don’t care if I’m sore, please, I need you.” He couldn’t help himself, even though he knew she needed some time for her body to recover, he slowly slid inside her, taking extra care when she winced. 

“Fuck,” he breathed, holding still for a minute as her body throbbed around him. He smoothed back her hair and held her gaze as he started to move and she forgot all about the discomfort as she lost herself in desire in his blue eyes. He laced his fingers through hers, pressing their hands into the pillow above her head and took her mouth again, his tongue sliding against hers and then he slowly and thoroughly took her to the stars.


	14. Breaking Glass

“Do you think there will ever be a day where you aren’t scowling?” Penny asked as she observed Chic from the doorway. “You’re pissing everyone off with your moods.”

“Do you think I give a fuck how I piss people off?” he asked with a harsh laugh as he sank into a chair with a glass of whiskey in his hand. “Find my sister and this Jones person and I’ll be good as gold.”

“Well, maybe this will cheer you up,” she said with a smirk, walking into the room and handing him a paper. “Time to make sure your clients won’t kill you in your sleep.” Chic looked at it and sighed. He wasn’t in the mood for this, but he guessed it would be good to make sure he was still in good graces with people. It had spread through the ranks that he’d lost his sister and people were wondering if he had control of his circle and at the moment he had none and he didn’t know how to fix it. 

And nobody knew a fucking thing about Jughead Jones.

All traces of the man had vanished 6 years earlier and the source that supplied him the name hadn’t been heard from since. Even digging into his supposed alias _The Shadow Thief_ revealed nothing. His sources had finally managed to figure out the man was a very successful thief but nobody knew what he looked like, and Chic wasn’t willing to share his picture because he didn’t want anybody going after him. Jughead Jones was his to kill. Nobody knew what name he went by and nobody knew where the man was. Not that anybody would give him the information. He was a well-respected thief and even his competition wouldn’t help. Jughead Jones was as he claimed. A shadow. A ghost. 

“Raise the reward to 200k,” Chic said, throwing the paper down on the coffee table. “If someone was willing to give a name for a hundred, think what they might reveal for two.”

“You sure?” Penny asked.

“Well, it’s not like we’ll actually fucking pay,” he snapped angrily, wanting to wring her neck for being stupid.

“Fine,” she huffed with a roll of her eyes. She left him brooding in the chair and he picked up the paper again. He figured it was better to smooth things over with the promise of new girls. Hunting always cheered him up.

 

 

Jughead threw his pen on his desk and ran a hand through his hair. Going over the details of how to get these damn rubies was annoying and honestly, he didn’t care at this point about this. The only reason he even bothered himself is because his client was still wanting them. His mind at the moment, was consumed with the list he had to get, the man he had to kill and if he was being honest, with Betty. He couldn’t stop thinking about her and it was kind of driving him nuts. He had shit to concentrate on and all he could think about was her giggles, her smiles, her kisses, her legs wrapped around him.

“Jughead, you need to get your head in the game,” Cheryl sighed, looking as frustrated as he felt. “This was an easy job the first time around, and it will be just as easy now.”

“Will it? I mean, last time we stole a bunch of diamonds from him. Will he be stupid enough to put the rubies back in where the diamonds had been?” 

“He probably got a new safe,” Cheryl shrugged. “That’s no problem and I had a fun idea. How about, when we steal the rubies, we just put the diamonds back?” she suggested with a grin. He let out a chuckle and sighed.

“Yeah, we could do that. They still having parties?” he asked, picking up the intel that Pea had found for them to help them plan the theft. 

“Yup, two weeks from now. We went in dark last time when the place was empty, you thinking party this time? Mingle as a guest?”

“Yeah, might help us prep for the Kristoff Amelin benefit. Get our bearings. It’s been a while since we did a party heist.”

“How easy do you think this job will be?” Cheryl asked. Jughead stared at the papers and the party plans and shrugged.

“Fairly simple. None of these people made it rich by being smart; it’s mostly family money and they will be too busy enjoying the expensive champagne of an over indulgent party. I’m wondering if the man even knows his diamonds are gone. There were other jewel bags in his safe and we just grabbed the black one because our intel told us they were in a black bag. Mixed in with the dark blue, one wouldn’t really notice it was gone unless they were looking.”

“Well, here’s hoping because then he wouldn’t have changed security and we’ve been scanning the news wires and so far there have been no reports of stolen diamonds, so, they are either keeping it quiet because they were obtained illegally, or they simply haven’t noticed,” Cheryl commented. “So, what exactly is my role?”

“Look out while Archie walks me through the safe crack.”

“Hmmmm, interesting.”

“Why is that interesting?” he asked.

“Sounds pretty straight forward. And I’m assuming I’m the wife in case we get caught and we’ll pretend we’re canoodling?”

“Yeah.”

“What if we change things up a bit this time?” Cheryl asked.

“How so? You want to crack the safe?”

“What if I sit this one out?”

“I don’t think Toni likes playing the wife,” Jughead laughed. “I’m pretty sure she loathes it.”

“I was thinking Betty.” Jughead stared at her in surprise. 

“What?”

“Why don’t we use Betty? I think she would really enjoy it and she’d probably have a lot of fun getting dressed up and going to a party…”

“A party we’re _working_ ,” Jughead reminded her. “Sorry, but no. I won’t put her at risk like that.”

“Come on Jug, you said it was an easy gig, there is no danger involved and honestly, if we would have to canoodle, knowing what you and Betty are doing, I wouldn’t be comfortable,” Cheryl explained.

“That doesn’t even make sense,” Jughead retorted. “You’re with Toni and you’ve never cared that we’ve had to canoodle.”

“I know, it’s just…it’s Betty. I don’t need her thinking about how we’re off at some fancy party and making out.”

“Sorry again, but no.”

“Jug…”

“No.”

“For god’s sake, will you just think about it,” she snapped. “She’s been here for over a month and has left only twice. I know you’re protecting her, especially with Chic knowing your name, but nobody else knows you by your first name….”

“Actually yes, people do,” Jughead reminded her. “I told Chic I was the Shadow Thief and someone gave him my real name. If he’s figured out what the Shadow Thief is, he’s passing my name around, looking for info and that’s concerning enough.”

“Who the fuck cares? Nobody knows who the Shadow Thief is, and even if they have your real name, they won’t find anything on it for the last 6 years.”

“If they try hard enough, they will.”

“No, they won’t because you don’t use that name on anything!”

“And the picture he has of me? If he’s been showing it around and people see me and know? This may be an easy score for the rubies but if there happens to be competition? If people now have a face for The Shadow Thief? I’m no longer a shadow.”

“How often have we run into competition at a heist?” Cheryl asked.

“Once,” he sighed, knowing the likelihood of doing so on this one was low. 

“We’ll be fine,” she smiled. “But seriously, think about it. You and Betty, a sexy heist, you could totally make out in a closet on purpose,” she said with a smirk.

“Get out,” he sighed, glaring at her. Cheryl grinned and sauntered out of his office, throwing him a wink as she disappeared through the door. Jughead leaned back in his chair and his lips unwittingly twitched into a smile. An image of Betty in a sexy gown, sneaking around a mansion with him suddenly slammed into his brain and he let out a long sigh. He figured she probably would love it and he had no doubt she’d probably be brilliant at it, but he refused to bring her into that world and essentially turning her into a criminal. She deserved better than that.

 

 

“So, what do you think? Will we ever figure this out?” Betty sighed after at least the 20th failed attempt that day to drill without breaking the glass.

“Well, if I remember correctly, as of right now, we have 5 or 6 weeks to figure it out, so there’s that,” Archie muttered as he looked at the damaged piece. 

“5 or 6?” Betty laughed.

“I don’t pay much attention to when these heists are, I just prepare and Jug usually lets me know when we’re a few days out.”

“Well, what happens if we can’t figure it out?” she asked as she inspected the mechanism they were drilling through.

“We’d have to crack the code and that would take longer than we’re willing to spend on it. And keep in mind, on the real safe, the glass is in the door panel, we can’t see, we don’t know what we’re drilling through, hell, we don’t even know if the mechanism will be the same.”

“Yeah…” she said quietly, letting out a yawn and a quiet sigh.

“You alright?” he asked. “You seem tired today.”

“I’m okay,” Betty shrugged. “I’ve had a hard time sleeping the last couple of nights is all.”

“I thought…..I thought Jughead helped with that,” Archie said sheepishly.

“He does,” she smiled as she went to the small fridge and grabbed a bottle of water, taking one for him as well. He caught it easily when she threw it and she sat down in the chair for a breather. “He’s really great and always seems to notice when I’m having a hard time. Actually makes me wonder if he fully rests.”

“He’s a light sleeper,” Archie said, dropping into the other chair. “He always has been. It’s hard to sneak around him.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” she agreed.

“How long have you not been sleeping well?”

“Couple of days,” Betty sighed. “I could use a nap.”

“What brought it on? If you don’t mind me asking. Jughead had just told me that you’re doing really good.” Betty was surprised at that, not thinking that Jughead was one to talk about things, but she knew Archie was his best friend, so it did make sense.

“I guess I’m just feeling sad and anxious.”

“About your brother?”

“That….and Jughead’s sister,” Betty said quietly.

“Jelly? Why?” Archie asked with a raised brow.

“Jughead told her about me and that we’re….you know,” she said with a blush. “She’s upset. He said she basically threw him out of her hospital room.”

“Wow, I didn’t know that.”

“She’ll come around.” Betty jumped at Sweet Pea’s voice and turned red that he had heard her talking about his girlfriend.

“I’m sorry, I just….” 

“Please, don’t apologize,” Pea said with a smile as he walked into the room. “This is a difficult thing for JB and I understand why she feels the way she does. She’s in recovery from your brother’s attack and it will take her some time to understand and to see that you’re not like him and even though he’s your brother, you don’t deserve to pay for what he’s done.”

“Maybe,” she managed to whisper. “But I won’t blame her if she can’t get past it. I’m a constant reminder, after all.” Both men just looked at her quietly and she managed a small smile. “So, what brings you here, Pea?” she asked.

“Uh, Jughead needs to see Arch. Meeting up with Reggie or something,” he said quickly, remembering why he was there.

“Oh, right,” Archie remembered, standing to his feet. “We’re about done here for today anyway. You’ll be okay the rest of the day?” he asked Betty.

“Yes, Archie, I’ll be fine,” she said with a chuckle. “I’ll go have a nap.”

“Alright,” he smiled and gave her arm a squeeze and left with Sweet Pea. Betty left the room and headed up to the apartment and fell into her bed, hugging the pillow to her. Just a few hours ago, she had been laying here with Jughead’s arms around her, hugging her close as she moved around, unable to sleep. He’d asked her if she was alright and she had simply nodded and pretended to sleep. She had barely seen him the last couple of days as things seemed to be going into full swing with what they were planning with the FBI and she missed him. Cheryl and Toni were busy too and she felt like the odd person out. This world that she was in, that she didn’t really belong to. Would she ever truly know her place?

 

 

“You hear anything from Reggie?” Jughead asked Archie as they scanned the screens in the security room. The man hadn’t shown up the previous day for their meeting and he was worried. He hadn’t answered any texts either.

“Not yet. Maybe he’s out of town or something.”

“Or maybe he got found out?” Jughead suggested with a sigh.

“Let’s give it another couple days before we start to panic. He didn’t seem worried the other day when I met him.”

“This whole thing has me on edge, Arch. I can barely turn my brain off at night and Betty isn’t sleeping well. I just want it to be over.”

“She told me that you told Jellybean about her,” Archie said quietly.

“She did, huh?” Jughead replied, his eyes suddenly landing on her in the garage security monitor. He watched as she leaned under the hood of a car and couldn’t seem to help staring at the curve of her backside. Archie caught sight of her as well and let out a laugh. 

“That’s where she goes these days to kill time if she isn’t helping me. Never would have pegged her for a grease monkey,” he observed. “I know things are tense right now, but try to remain calm and don’t worry so much. Things always have a way of working out. Well, anyway, I’m going to call it a night. I’ll catch you tomorrow,” he said as he stood. 

“Later,” Jughead called after him as he left the room. He checked the list and noted that every Serpent was in the building and he locked it down, his eyes still on Betty working on the car. He smiled and turned off the cameras to the garage and left the room.

 

 

It had been three days since Jughead had told Betty that Jellybean hadn’t been happy about their situation and she had barely seen him. The first day had worried her because she had woken up alone and she didn’t see him all day. She had been helping Archie and he’d informed her that he was busy with Fangs going over security and ways in and out of the mansion they were doing the heist in.

She missed him and at night, when he would crawl into her bed and wrap his arms around her and pull her close, she found herself cherishing those moments. He would fall asleep almost immediately and she would lay awake and watch him until her eyes couldn’t stay open anymore, until that is, she woke restlessly.

She had found her way down to the garage when she had nothing else to do and the mechanics would let her fix things that they couldn’t get to if she could manage and today she was all alone. Billy, the head mechanic had called it a day and had let her keep tinkering away on an engine that needed cleaning. 

“I was told this has become your little hide out,” came an amused voice behind her and Betty smiled as she turned. Jughead was leaning against a car, legs crossed at the ankles, arms folded across his chest, a cigarette dangling from his lips. He took a long drag before pulling it away and gave her a smirk.

“And who told you that?” Betty asked, moving to the sink to wash her hands.

“Archie, who gets to see you more often that I do these days,” he said, sounding rather disgruntled. Betty wiped her hands and leaned against the sink and tilted her head as she observed him.

“Are you jealous, Shadow Thief?” she asked playfully.

“As fuck,” he sighed. Betty bit her lip and pushed away from the sink and walked over to him.

“Whose fault is that?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. 

“All mine,” he said with a nod as he leaned over to the counter close to him and dropped his cigarette into an empty tin can. She stopped a foot away from him so she wouldn’t make an ass of herself and climb him because he looked good enough to devour but Jughead was having none of that and hooked a finger the waist band of her jeans and spread his legs so he could pull her between them and flush against him. 

“Hi,” she said softly, her hands resting on his chest. “You’ve been very busy.” 

“Yes, I have,” he agreed, his gaze settling on her mouth. 

“Are you done being busy?” she asked softly, her hands moving up to slide around his neck.

“No, but I missed your mouth.”

Betty flushed at his bluntness and he smiled as he leaned in to kiss her. She sighed into his mouth and let her arms wrap around his neck, pressing close as she kissed him back. It was consuming and filled with hunger and his hands came up to hold her head as he deepened it, sliding his tongue into her mouth, stroking along hers, groaning at the taste of her. He pulled back slightly and then was kissing her again, his arms coming back around her and holding her against him. 

A few nights ago, in a moment of desperation, they had come together with an intensity that shook her and even now, three days later, she didn’t understand it. Didn’t understand what drove them to consume each other. Was it the thought that JB might force them apart? Did that even make sense, for them to react that way? She didn’t know and they hadn’t done anything but hold each other while they slept since then and now, as his mouth moved over hers, everything seemed to disappear and their first night together came screaming back. The ache, the desire, the lust. 

“God, you taste good,” he growled against her mouth and she whimpered when he tugged on her lip. Her hands tugged on his hair and her back bowed slightly from the force of his kiss. He moved suddenly and straightened; turning and lifting her to sit on the hood of the car, spreading her legs so he could stand between them. When his mouth moved down her neck, she wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him tight against her, feeling him hard against her core. She suddenly gained a little sense and pulled back.

“Jug, someone could come,” she moaned when his mouth followed her and latched on to her skin again. “Aren’t there cameras?” 

“I turned them off,” he murmured, his tongue licking over her collarbone.

“What?” she asked, confused. Jughead lifted his head and smiled sheepishly. 

“Okay, so I may have been in the security room when I saw you on the camera feed leaning under the hood and I may or may not have wanted to smooth my hand over your ass.”

“Is that so?” Betty asked with a raised brow. “And so you….”

“I made sure everyone was accounted for and all cars were in the building and I locked it down and turned off the cameras to the garage,” he grinned.

 

“Really?” she asked, her voice soft and low. She bit her lip and her hand went to the buttons of the shirt she wore and she held his gaze while she slowly undid them. He swallowed, his eyes dropping to the skin that was appearing. “And you thought what? I’d just swoon at the sight of you and give it up?” she teased, finishing with her buttons and leaning back on her hands, her shirt hanging open and revealing a lacy white bra.

“Well, I was kinda hoping,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.

“You’re very naughty,” she laughed. Jughead stepped closer and braced his hands on the hood, leaning over her and she smiled and lowered to balance on her elbows. “What are you doing?” she asked breathlessly, teasingly pulling her head back from his kiss. 

“Trying to kiss what appears to be a very stubborn woman,” he grumbled. 

“And why do you want to kiss this woman?” Betty asked, her breath leaving in a rush as his mouth moved to her chest, placing soft kisses across the top.

“Because she seduced me endlessly and when I finally gave in….” he murmured teasingly, his mouth moving down between her breasts. “When I finally gave in I realized I was in deep……deep….trouble….” he pressed kisses as he spoke and when his tongue dipped into her bellybutton before moving back up she shifted and lay back.

“Why?” she whispered, arching her back and lifting to his mouth.

“Because now I can’t stop thinking about her and all the naughty shit she did to me in the shower,” he growled. Betty giggled and grabbed his head and lifted it so she could look at him.

“I’m pretty sure you were the one being naughty in the shower,” she insisted. He smirked and lowered his mouth to her chest when a door suddenly banged at the end of the garage.

“Hey Jones, you down here?” Sweet Pea called and Jughead quickly straightened and Betty scrambled off the car and started buttoning her shirt.

“Shit,” he muttered and waited until she got her shirt done up.

“In mechanics,” he called and made sure he was sufficiently hidden on the other side of the hood so Pea wouldn’t notice his very obvious erection. Betty felt like her face was on fire and did her best to appear nonchalant.

“Hey,” Pea said with a smile when he noticed both of them and then his grin widened. “I interrupt something?”

“What’s up Pea?” Jughead sighed with irritation. 

“Well, I tried texting but you weren’t answering,” the man explained. Jughead went through his pockets and realized that he didn’t have his phone. 

“I must have left it in the security room, sorry,” he shrugged. “What’s up?” Sweet Pea had a paper that he brought over that required his signature. “What’s this for?”

“You are officially on the guest list for the benefit and you need to sign to RSVP,” Pea explained, laying it down on the hood of the car with a pen. “I need to fax it to Keller tonight and he’s going to get the official invitation. Apparently, they don’t send the invitation unless you actually say you’re going to be at this thing. You’ll then present the invite at the door.” Jughead was invited as Michael Foster and signed accordingly.

“That it?” he asked, handing the pen back. 

“Yes boss,” Pea said with a smirk in Betty’s direction, who was still standing by the engine and pretending she was busy with it. “I’ll let you get back to greasing the engine,” he chuckled.

“Jesus Christ,” Jughead muttered as the man walked off. When he heard the door slam shut again he turned to Betty who stood and watched him, still feeling flushed. He looked like he was going to say something but when she wet her lips he faltered and his eyes locked on her mouth. Before Pea had shown up it had been teasing, playful and now she felt like the air was sucked from the room at the intensity of his gaze. He reached her in a couple of strides and suddenly she was pressed against him, his mouth devouring hers.

Betty wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back just as enthusiastically and when he lifted her, her legs went around his waist and he once again moved and set her on the hood of the car.

“What if someone comes in again,” she gasped when his mouth moved and he bit lightly at her neck as he moved down.

“Then we better hurry,” he insisted as his hands moved to the buttons of her shirt. She shoved them away and grabbed the hem and pulled it over her head. “Good thinking,” he grinned. It was a flurry of hands and mouths after that, kissing, stroking, taking off his shirt, taking off her bra and falling back as his mouth settled over a nipple while his fingers fumbled with her pants. Betty ran her hands over his chest as he pulled them off and his hands slid up her legs, parting them as she lay back on the hood. “Christ, look at you,” he growled, his eyes raking over her. 

There was a certain thrill that went through her at the thought that she was sprawled out on the hood of a car, with Jughead between her legs and anybody could walk in on them. Shockingly, it only fueled her desire. 

“You know,” she said, her voice seductive and sensual, her hand travelling down the front of her body and brushing over the lace between her legs. She had no idea where the hell her seduction was coming from with her inexperience but the way his eyes darkened and his breath grew heavy told her she was doing it right. “Some of that porn I watched started this way.”

“Fucking hell,” he groaned and she sat up, her hands working his belt and opening his pants, sliding in to wrap around him, her mouth latching to the skin of his neck, her teeth biting. “How the hell are you so naughty?” he gasped when she swiped her thumb over the head of his cock. 

“I want you,” Betty breathed against his skin, licking her tongue over it, her hands pushing his jeans down so he sprang free. He practically ripped her panties in his haste to get them off and she suddenly realized how she was affecting him. He was desperate for her, groaning when his fingers found her wet and silky, his body shuddering when she spread wider for him. His hand wrapped around the back of her neck and he pulled her close, covering her mouth with his as his other hand pulled her to the edge, sliding his arousal through her folds and she moaned, wiggling closer, eager to feel him inside her again. “Please,” she begged when he continued to slide against her. 

His tongue sank into her mouth in the same instant that his body sank inside hers and she moaned at the sensual feel of it all. It didn’t hurt anymore. She noticed immediately and was suddenly glad they hadn’t had sex in 3 days because it seemed her body had recovered and this….this was the true meaning of bliss.

“Oh my god,” she gasped, her hand grasping his hair as he moved inside her. It was slow and steady and she craved more. “Don’t be slow,” she whimpered against his mouth. “I need more.”

“Fuck, Betty,” he groaned, grabbing her thighs and holding them wide as he started to move faster inside her. Her nails raked down his front as she fell back on the hood, arching her body and straining against him. Jughead grabbed her hips and held her still as he thrust into her and she raised her arms above her head, grabbing the edge of the hood by the wipers to anchor herself. “You’re incredible,” he gasped, his eyes devouring her. He leaned forward, his mouth covering her nipple, sucking it into his mouth and she cried out as the pleasure shot through her body, speeding her towards release. It was hard, fast and dirty, his mouth leaving marks as he sucked on her skin everywhere he could reach, his hips slamming into hers again and again. 

When he reached down between them and circled her clit, she fell apart, her orgasm rolling over her in waves, her body arching off the hood of the car. Jughead watched as her face glazed over in ecstasy, her eyes rolling back as she cried out, felt her body tighten on him and he tumbled after her, his orgasm rushing through him. He growled at the pleasure that consumed him, his thrusts choppy and deep and she let out a sob as he kept moving through it. He pressed as deep as he could, looking down to where he was buried, her back still arched off the car, his fingers still gently stroking her.

“Holy fuck,” he breathed, feeling her still quivering around him as her body slowly sank back down. Her breathing was harsh and she let a hand run down her front and settle over his, stopping his stroking. He laced their fingers together and she slowly opened her eyes and looked at him.

“Oh my god, is it always like that?” she asked, still breathing heavy.

“I don’t know, I’ve never had such a mad urge to fuck someone on a car before,” he said with a smirk. She gripped his hand and pulled herself to a sitting position and he leaned in to kiss her, slowly and gently and she sighed into him. When he pulled back, she looked down as he slowly pulled out and she flushed and Jughead couldn’t help but grin over her sudden shyness. “Really?” he chuckled. “You were just spread out for me all over the hood and this makes you blush?”

“Oh shush,” she said, blushing even harder at his words. “Whose car did we just defile?” she laughed.

“Cheryl’s,” he smirked.

“Oh God, don’t ever tell her,” Betty insisted and he just laughed and helped her into her clothes. “Promise the cameras are turned off,” she said quietly as he buttoned her shirt. Jughead straightened her hair and leaned down to kiss her. 

“I promise,” he said against her lips and she suddenly wanted to do it all over again. “Now, do you think you can manage to drag yourself away from this engine and come upstairs with me?”

“Why?” she asked with a smile.

“I want to have dinner and watch some pointless TV with you,” he shrugged and she felt her heart squeeze at his request. 

“That sounds like a nice evening,” she spoke softly and she quickly tidied up and followed him upstairs. They made a pit stop at the security room to grab his phone and turn the cameras back on and then headed up to the apartment.

Once they got upstairs, Betty headed to her room to take a shower and she stopped just inside the door and looked around in confusion. It looked different and at first, she couldn’t place why. Then it dawned on her. All her stuff was gone. She had been there over a month and along with the few personal items that Cheryl had grabbed when they rescued her, she had managed to collect clothing and personal essentials and it all appeared to be missing. In fact, the room was spotless and looked ready for someone to move in. She walked into the bathroom and saw everything was newly replaced and all her things that she was using were nowhere to be found. Betty slowly walked back into the apartment and looked at Jughead in confusion.

“Jug, where are my things?” she asked slowly, and he turned from the fridge to look at her.

“What?”

“My stuff? Where is it? My room looks like it’s been deep cleaned and readied for guests or something.”

“Oh, Martha cleaned today. She does housekeeping for whoever doesn’t like to clean. I told her to move your stuff into my room,” he said casually as he looked back in the fridge. Betty froze in surprise.

“Why?”

“Oh…” he said slowly, suddenly sheepish and unsure of what to say. “I um…I figured it’d be easier if we just slept in one and weren’t always moving back and forth,” he shrugged. She didn’t know what to make of that and realized that it wasn’t a small thing that he did that. It was rather significant that he wanted her with him, in his bed, making herself at home in his bedroom, which essentially was now _their_ bedroom. Not only that, he did this after his sister’s anger at their situation. “I’m sorry, I guess I should have asked,” he winced. “I didn’t think you’d mind. We can move it back if you want.”

“No, it’s fine, it’s just…” Betty tried to find the right words to say. “You’ve never had a woman share a bedroom with you, other than….”

“No, I guess you’re right. I haven’t,” he shrugged. “Guess I didn’t want to, until now.” He watched her for a moment, saw the confusion flickering across her face. “Are you doing that thing you do when you go through all of Cheryl’s bullshit that you have filed away and now you’re going to start to say something like - _but Cheryl said…_ ” Betty let out a giggle and realized he was right. She was literally about to tell him that Cheryl had told her he never wanted a woman in his bed past sex, which they had already proven false, in her case anyway, but she had been told he for sure never wanted a woman moved into his room.

“Well, since you brought it up, you’ve never moved a woman into your room,” she said with a smile. Jughead walked over and nudged her chin up.

“You live here, we’re sleeping together, we like each other, we may as well share the bedroom since we spend every night together.”

“Well, then why not in my room? Your room is like your private sanctuary and I wouldn’t think you’d want someone invading it unless…unless….”

“Unless?”

“Unless they were really important to you,” she finished in a rush. Jughead wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the ground and started walking down the hall toward the room under discussion. 

“My bed’s more comfortable, I like it better and I like you in it,” he explained. “And I like you in it because you _are_ important to me.”

“Oh,” she said with a smile. “Where are we going?”

“I figured I’d help you shower,” he grinned, his hand already working on her shirt. 

Well, she wasn’t going to protest that idea.

It was around 1:00 in the morning when Betty sat up with a gasp, her breath seeming caught in her lungs as she struggled to get her bearings. She looked around frantically, looking for Jughead and he was already sitting up and reaching for her.

“Hey,” he said softly, wrapping an arm around her. “Just breathe Betty, it’s okay.” She curled her fingers and felt his own slide through them, keeping her from digging in. It had been a while since she had had this bad a dream and she realized she was shaking. “I’ve got you hon,” he whispered, pulling her close. Betty shuddered as she melted against him. She pulled her hands from his and pressed them against his chest, letting his arms go around her properly. 

“Sorry,” she whimpered into his skin. 

“Don’t,” he murmured. “It’s alright.” He stroked her back for long moments until she calmed. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked softly. “You’ve never told me about your nightmares and you haven’t had one for a while. Can you tell me about this one?”

“I was alone,” she whispered. “I was back in the room and I could hear Chic laughing. Then you were there and he was behind you and I was yelling at you to be careful and you weren’t listening and he….he had a knife and he….” Betty let out a sob and clung to him, making sure he was with her. Jughead eased her back gently and brushed the tears off her cheeks.

“It’s okay, it was just a bad dream.” 

“He’s going to kill you, Jug,” she cried. “I’m going to be locked in a room again.”

“I won’t let that happen,” Jughead promised, taking her face in his hands. “I promise you, he will never hurt you again. He won’t win, I won’t let him. I promise.” Betty nodded and he pulled her close again and eased back on the pillows. It had been a while since she hadn’t slept calmly and he now wished he hadn’t told her about Jellybean. She was anxious now and he didn’t want her to take a step back. He could feel her trembling and he hugged her closer. “Betty?”

“I’m okay…”

“I promise I’ll take care of you and I won’t let anything happen to you. JB being upset….it won’t….it won’t change anything.”

“She’s your sister,” Betty whispered.

“I know,” he sighed. “She just needs time.”

“For what?”

“To understand that I can’t break my promise to you. She needs to understand that I….” he trailed off quietly and she shifted to look at him and his eyes held hers for a moment. “She needs to understand that I’m your protector,” he finished softly. Betty lifted her hand to his face and he leaned into her touch. It was like the glass breaking in Archie's safe door. They would have to figure out how to proceed without everything shattering around them.

“You’re a good man, Jughead Jones.”

“I’m a thief and a criminal and I should be in jail,” he said with a wince.

“True, but you’re a good man, regardless,” she said with a gentle smile. He couldn’t help but chuckle at her honesty and she curled into him again and tried to go back to sleep.

Jughead let out a long sigh and stared at the window, observing how the moonlight cast the shadows from the grills across the walls. It seemed ironic that they looked like prison bars. He had chosen this life. He could have steered the Serpents away from anything illegal but the thrill and adrenaline he got from going after something rare or expensive and actually getting it proved to be seductive and alluring and somehow he’d managed to get everyone feeling the same way. 

Maybe it had been a mistake. 

These thrills they had all been chasing had led them here. If he had gotten them out of this lifestyle and settled somewhere with possibly a legit business, maybe Jellybean wouldn’t have been on her way to the airport to the school of her choice, maybe they wouldn’t have been able to afford it and she would have just gone to a community college here and maybe she wouldn’t have been almost killed. They wouldn’t be caught up with the feds and they wouldn’t be on the verge of war with a killer.

But then – 

He wouldn’t have met Betty.

She would have ended up with a monster and probably dead.

All his choices had led him here. Laying in bed, holding a beautiful innocent woman, who had his heart twisted in knots and feeling things he’d never felt before and his sister angry and unaccepting and he couldn’t see a way to fix any of it because JB was justified in her feelings and Betty, despite being completely innocent was a reminder of the horrors his sister had gone through. 

Both victims of evil and each reminding the other of someone and something they would rather forget. He turned and pressed a kiss to her forehead and she lifted her head to touch her lips to his. It was soft and gentle. Not a kiss meant to lead to anything but rather to give comfort and they fell asleep, lips locked, breath mingling, the monsters of the night at bay for the moment.

 

 

It wasn’t often that Kevin Keller worked into the night, but this case, this hunt for members of a ring of sex traffickers was proving to be all consuming. He had no life outside of this until it was finished. He sat back in his chair and looked at the files on his desk. Years worth of information, missing women going 10 years back and probably more that they didn’t know about. 

“Hey,” Moose said, appearing in the doorway, looking as tired and fed up as Kevin. “I got the papers from Sweet Pea, signed for Jughead’s invitation. Now we just need to get our insider to get it all worked into the invitations.”

“Yeah,” Kevin sighed. “If we could just print up a fake invite, that would help but they number this shit, so somehow, we need to get his paper in that pile of names.”

“Keller,” Moose said slowly. “Don’t you think Jughead and his Serpents should be going into this benefit heist with all the info?”

“Let’s just see how it plays out, shall we?”

“You’re asking for trouble; they may not be able to find out anything about attendee Bryce Morgan, but don’t you think you should tell them who he is?” Moose asked.

“No. We wiped that all out to protect him for now. Jughead Jones wouldn’t think twice about going after him immediately if he knew," Kevin assured him.

"So, we won't warn him?" Moose asked.

"No, Jughead can’t know that he’ll be at the same benefit as Chic Cooper.”


	15. Protection with Feelings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not completely happy with this chapter and after rewriting things a million times, I just decided to leave it be. If it leaves you feeling a bit confused....well, that's Betty lol She's confused and anxious in this chapter and she is trying to figure shit out.

Betty pulled her feet up on the chair and rested her cheek on her knee as she gazed into the bird cage in Pop’s apartment. She was tired and felt like she was crumbling and didn’t know how to stop it. She had had a bad nightmare three nights in a row now, with Chic killing Jughead in all of them and last night’s had been so terrifying, she had woke up screaming, with Jughead anxiously trying to calm her. With his arms wrapped tightly around her and his lips pressing kisses to her hair, she had cried herself to sleep.

Betty had seen the therapist again the day before as well and once again, hadn’t been able to dig deep into her past or years of captivity. As much as she knew it would help her deal with her fear and anxiety, she wasn’t ready to face it and while she tried to be lighthearted about it at times, even making jokes, it was always there, the fear that she would end up with Chic again, that Jughead wouldn’t succeed.

“You’re not looking so well, my dear,” Pop said softly as he came to sit with her. Betty lifted her head and smiled at the old man. He had become dear to her, almost like a father and he always had words of wisdom when she was feeling lost. 

“I’m having a hard time lately,” she sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Nightmares, not sleeping.”

“Bad nightmares?”

“Are there good ones?” she chuckled. He didn’t speak, waiting for her to continue. “I keep dreaming that my brother kills Jughead.”

“Ahhh, I see and of course, since you falling for my grandson, that can be quite terrifying,” Pop smiled.

“Well, I don’t…I mean, its….” Betty kind of stumbled over her words in surprise at his observation and he let out a soft laugh.

“Oh my dear, it’s very obvious and there is no need to deny it. I know you care about Jughead.” She felt for a moment like she was unable to breathe and then decided to take control of her thoughts and feelings and face them.

“I didn’t mean to like him this much,” she let out in a shaky whisper. 

“He’s a good man and despite the life he’s chosen to lead, he’ll always be a good man. It’s easy to care about Jughead, even if he keeps people at arm’s length. They see the good in him.”

“Yes, but I have no business caring about Jughead,” Betty said, feeling her eyes sting with tears.

“Why is that?” Pop asked softly.

“Because I….i promised myself I wouldn’t. I know how he feels about relationships and I made a promise that I won’t let it get to that, that we would just be casual, that I wouldn’t put pressure on myself and on him and now…..now I find myself with all these feelings and God, I’m such an idiot,” she whispered, a few tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Betty…”

“Do you know that he told Jellybean about me?” she interrupted. “She’s so angry with him and I know, if it ever comes down to it, if he had to choose, he would choose her, and that’s okay, I completely understand because she’s family, she’s a Serpent and I don’t belong here. I’m the outsider and I know at some point, I will need to move on…”

“Oh my dear,” Pop sighed, shimmying his chair closer to her so he could take her hands. “With everything else going on with your brother, why would you do this to yourself? Jughead would never allow Jelly to force him to choose, he would never pick one person over another if he cared for both. He would find a solution and he would make sure that the solution doesn’t hurt anybody. You seem to think that what you and Jughead have isn’t a relationship, well, I’m sorry dear, but you most definitely are in a relationship and he knows it and he hasn’t run off yet, has he?”

“No…”

“Do you love him?” Pop asked.

“I don’t know,” she said softly. “I do know that I care about him more than I intended and the thought of losing him really hurts, but I know he doesn’t believe in love, so really, even if I loved him, it would be one sided.” Pop let out a sigh and leaned back in his chair.

“You kids nowadays and all your confusion. In my day, if you liked a girl or liked a boy you told them and if they shared your feelings, that was it, there were no _what ifs_. All I can tell you dear, is that I know my grandson and as much as he likes to say he’s never going to love someone, he’s about to get slapped across the face with it and I’ll just leave it at that.” Betty looked at him and he seemed so certain, it almost frightened her. Everything was so simple to him and in her heart everything was so incredibly complicated that it was hard to breathe. 

“I’m sorry for being such a buzz kill today,” Betty sighed, wiping her face. “I just feel a little lost.”

“Well, I have something that may cheer you up,” Pop smiled as he stood slowly. From behind his chair he pulled out a beautiful black bird cage and he set it down in front of her. 

“What’s this for?” she asked in surprise. He winked at her and opened his big bird cage and reached for Bell and Betty shook her head. “Pop, no,” she said quickly.

“Oh hush now,” he said softly, placing the small blue bird on her hand. It nipped gently at her thumb and she smiled. “She reminds me of you, always sitting by herself, looking a little lost. She won’t interact with the other birds and I think she’s taken with you, so I want you to have her. Maybe she’ll cheer you up a little,” he smiled.

“I used to be like her, locked in a cage but i’m free now,” Betty said softly.

“Are you?” Pop asked gently. She said nothing and put the bird into the new cage. 

“Thank you,” Betty said softly, leaning forward and giving him a hug. When she leaned back he held on her to hands and gave an affectionate squeeze.

“Don’t worry, my dear, Jughead won’t turn his back on you; nobody will. And as for these nightmares, I truly hope that they get better soon because you need some good solid rest.” 

“Me too,” she nodded. She spent another hour with him before heading back down to the apartment. She had a workout with Cheryl in the evening and she figured she’d maybe try to nap so she doesn’t fall over trying to lift weights. She was gaining strength and Sweet Pea and Fangs had taken to showing her some self-defence moves as well and she was starting to feel like she could take on anything. Well, maybe not the last few days, but she was getting stronger.

She put the cage on the kitchen island and smiled at the little bird hopping around. Interestingly enough, all alone in its own little home, the bird seemed happier. A strange thing that was. Pop had said the bird reminded him of her, a little lost, but she was locked in a cage all by herself and she was happy. When Betty had been in her cage, she’d been anything but happy.

“Hey you,” Jughead suddenly said, coming down the hall from the back. Betty jumped in surprise and looked at him.

“I didn’t know you were here,” she gasped, her heart racing in fright.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I was just reading. What’s this?” he asked, motioning to Bell.

“Pop gave her to me,” she smiled. “Thought it would cheer me up. Is it alright if we keep her here?”

“Of course,” Jughead said softly, standing beside her to look at the small bird. His hand came up behind her and rested gently on her hair and she leaned into his side. “You doing alright?”

“Yeah, I’m just tired.” Jughead turned her gently and cupped her face, his thumb caressing her cheek.

“I’m so sorry about your nightmares, Betty. I wish there was something more I could do,” he said, his voice so soft it felt like a gentle caress on her heart. Betty wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him close and felt his mouth press a kiss to her hair. “Does the therapist help at all?”

“Sort of,” she mumbled. “But I’m still too afraid to go too deep and I know I need to, it’s just…I don’t know.”

“Well, I don’t know much about therapy, but I’m guessing this isn’t going to be a quick thing. It will take some time, hon, so if you aren’t ready, then you aren’t ready.”

“I like it when you call me that,” she whispered.

“What?”

“Hon. It’s comforting and sweet.” Jughead smiled and tilted her head back, giving her a soft kiss. 

“Well, you’re sweet like honey,” he teased, brushing his nose against hers. “It’s perfectly fitting.” Betty smiled, holding his gaze for a few moments. As he dipped his head to kiss her again, she inadvertently yawned and he chuckled and pulled back. “Okay, nap time,” he insisted, picking her up and carrying her to the bedroom.

“Why are you always picking me up,” she wondered with a laugh. “I can walk, you know.”

“Yes, but it’s much more fun to carry you, make sure you don’t get lost on the way,” he grinned. 

“You’re a dork,” she smiled. When he got to the bed he put her down and pulled the bed throw over her and settled down next to her. “Don’t you have things to do?” she asked in surprise.

“They can wait,” he replied, pulling her close and closing his eyes. Betty watched him a while, her hand lifting so she could trace his jaw with her fingers. He took her hand and brought it to his chest. “Sleep.” She smiled and curled into him, her head on his shoulder, her arm around his waist. He was warm and smelled wonderful and she slowly drifted off to sleep.

 

 

The evening work out made Betty wish she was anywhere but in the gym. She had already blown off Pea and Fangs, choosing not to work on self defense and Cheryl seemed extra aggravating as she pushed her to lift more than she had the last time. She was struggling, even though she knew she should be able to do it, she struggled with every push. She sat up on the bench, drinking from her water bottle, watching Jughead working out on a boxing speed ball. Not even him being shirtless, his skin glistening with sweat got her motivated. 

“I think I’m done Cheryl,” she sighed, putting down the water.

“One more set,” the red head insisted, giving her a gentle nudge back. “5 reps and we can call it night.”

“Does it really matter? I’m just not feeling it tonight,” Betty insisted. Cheryl swung her leg over her and stood straddling her torso.

“That’s when you go for it and push through. When you don’t want to, is when you should.”

“Is that some weird working out logic?” Betty asked with a roll of her eyes.

“It’s my logic and frankly, I’m sick of you moping around the last few days. It’s time to snap out of it.”

“Excuse me?” 

“You heard me, now grab the bar and lift.” 

Betty was annoyed and angry enough to feel a surge of strength and she gritted her teeth and grabbed hold of the bar, lifting the weight off the catcher. She only managed two reps and then it felt like her arms were giving out and she struggled to lift it.

“Come on, you can do this,” Cheryl urged, using her hands to help her hold some of the weight but not lifting with her.

“No, I can’t,” Betty gritted out. “Can you lift it please?”

“Come on Betty, I thought you wanted to get strong?” 

“I do! But it’s not a good day for me,” Betty gasped out, sweat rolling down her temple and into her hair.

“Come on, you push through this, just one and we’ll call it a night,” Cheryl urged.

“I can’t,” Betty insisted, tears stinging her eyes. Her arms felt like jello and she wanted to just drop the bar on her chest.

“Yes, you can,” Cheryl said loudly, a fierce look on her face. “Remember Chic? Remember the bastard that abused you and locked you in a room?”

“I’m going to fucking drop it,” Betty yelled furiously, her body shaking from the effort.

“Do you want to be a victim Betty? Or do you want to fight?” Cheryl yelled back. “Now come on! Fucking push!” 

Something snapped inside Betty and rage ripped through her as her brother’s face flashed in her memory. His leer, his fists, his face. She thought she heard Jughead yell as she sobbed, her arms shaking and a furious roar burned through her chest and she pushed with everything she had and lifted the bar and all its weight up, dropping it on the catcher. Cheryl smiled triumphantly and stepped back as Betty pushed herself up, gasping for breath, tears running down her face.

“Excellent!” the red head exclaimed.

“Fuck you,” Betty snapped angrily, lowering her head into her hands. 

“What the hell Cheryl?” Jughead snapped, having made his way over. He crouched down beside Betty, taking her hand. “You okay?” he asked softly. 

“Fine,” she muttered, wiping at her face. She got up and walked away from him, going into the sauna and slamming the door. Jughead turned to Cheryl, furious.

“What the fuck are you doing? You’re pushing too hard!”

“She needed to be pushed,” Cheryl snapped, her face suddenly as angry as his. “I don’t know what’s been going on the last week, but that girl is on the verge of fucking falling apart! What the hell is going on with her? Last week she was ready to conquer the world and today she’s quitting before she’s even begun.”

“She needs a break and this shit is done until I say she’s ready,” Jughead yelled.

“She doesn’t need to be babied, Jughead,” Cheryl yelled back. “She needs direction because she’s going fucking backwards and you treating her like an invalid isn’t helping!”

“You don’t know anything about it,” he fumed, his finger in her face that she slapped away angrily. 

“Don’t fucking point at me. I care about her as much as you do!”

“I don’t think so,” he snapped. He turned and stalked toward the sauna.

“Asshole,” Cheryl muttered as she headed for the showers. 

“What’s going on?” Toni asked, having heard the commotion from the pool. 

“Love is turning him into a prick,” Cheryl retorted.

 

Jughead opened the sauna door and found Betty sitting on the bench, the heat turned off and he stepped in, closing the door behind him. She was shaking, tears rolling down her face and he sat next to her, pulling her onto his lap.

“You okay?” he whispered. She shuddered as she nodded and he let out a sigh. “Betty, tell me the truth,” he pleaded. “You’re not doing well.”

“I’m tired,” she whispered.

“I know, hon,” he sighed. 

“I don’t want to go to sleep, Jug. I don’t want to see him hurt you.” She cried against his neck and he held her close and pulled his phone from his sweats and sent a text to Midge.

_911_

When Betty stopped crying, he helped her up and opened the door and stepped out. She stumbled and he quickly swept her up in his arms and headed for the elevator. He noted Cheryl’s concerned remorseful look, as she realized that maybe she didn’t understand at all what Betty needed.

Back in the apartment, he took her into the bathroom and turned on the shower, helping her get undressed and he was about to take off his own clothes when her glare stopped him.

“I can fucking shower myself, Jughead,” she snapped. “I’m not a child.” He sighed and stepped back and she immediately felt bad. “I’m sorry,” she said quickly, grabbing his hand before he walked away. “Please stay.” He was hesitant and she stepped closer, her chin trembling. “Please.” Jughead got undressed and stepped into the shower with her.

“You know,” he murmured. “I was working out as well and I just wanted to share the shower, I wasn’t really getting in to help you.”

“Are you lying?” she asked, her brow furrowed.

“A little,” Jughead chuckled. “But I just wanted to make sure you’re alright, help you out a little. I thought if I was washing you, it might relax you a little; kind of like a massage?”

“Well, that sounds nice,” Betty admitted, handing him the soap. “I heard you and Cheryl yelling,” she said softly as his hands started to run over her skin.

“She was wrong.”

“You both were and you were both also right. I’m not an invalid Jughead, I don’t need to be treated like I’m going to break, and I’m not going to let you stop me from working out, that’s my decision, but she did also push a little too hard and while it got results, I wasn’t giving up, I was simply just too exhausted,” she sighed. “But I do feel a little like I’m going backwards. I was doing well, I was sleeping well and now, I just can’t seem to sleep without a horrible nightmare and even with you holding me, it’s not making them stop.”

“Well, I rather enjoy holding you and I hope I can continue, even if it doesn’t help,” he said gently. Betty smiled tiredly and wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. Even completely naked, pressed against him in the shower and all her brain could think was sleep. 

“I hope you never stop,” she whispered and the weight of her words hung in the steamy air around them.

“As long as you’ll let me,” he whispered back and she felt tears sting her eyes. She decided not to make him promise because that wouldn’t be fair, but she would take it. _As long as you’ll let me_ was a good answer. “This all seemed to start when I told you about JB’s reaction to you and me and I feel like it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have told you.”

“It’s better that you did,” Betty insisted. “Having her come home and just hating me on sight would have been a bit of a shock for me.”

“She’s not going to hate you,” Jughead said firmly and she sighed.

“Well, we’ll see. I don’t know if that’s why I’m having nightmares, I mean, it certainly isn’t helping that I’m worrying about it, but I think I was already heading there and that just gave that extra push….maybe….” They finished their shower and had just gotten dressed in their lounge around wear, consisting of pajama pants and tshirts, when Jughead’s phone buzzed.

“Back to work?” she asked quietly, noting it was only 8:00 in the evening.

“No, Midge is here.”

“You called the doctor?” Betty asked, surprised.

“You need to sleep Betty and I’m sure she’ll be able to help with that,” he said softly. “Even if she gives you meds for a few days so you catch up. It’s completely up to you, of course, but I just want her to check you out, okay?”

“I guess,” she shrugged. “I was probably due for a checkup anyway. She told me she’d come back in a month or so. I’m just going to brush my teeth, I’ll be out in a minute.” Jughead went to the door and pulled it open just as Midge was stepping out of the elevator.

“Hi Jug,” she smiled as she hugged him. Once inside, she set her bag on the counter and turned to him. “Alright, what’s the emergency?”

“Betty. She isn’t doing well. She’s been having a really hard time sleeping and she’s exhausted and kind of falling apart a little,” he explained. Midge studied him for a moment before she spoke.

“Alright, I think I’ve been kept in the dark long enough and you know you can trust me. Who is she?”

“Chic Cooper’s sister.” Midge had heard enough of the details now to know who Chic Cooper was and her eyes went wide.

“Dear God, he’s the one responsible for the state she was in?”

“Yes, but Betty doesn’t know exactly what her brother does for a living, so don’t go there, okay?”

“Of course.” Betty came out right then and Midge gave her a bright smile.

“Well, you look amazing,” she exclaimed, giving a surprised Betty a hug. “I see Jughead’s been feeding you?” Betty flushed and shrugged in embarrassment, even as she reached for an orange and started peeling it. “Shall we sit on the couch so I can do a quick check?” Once they were settled, and Betty was eating her orange, Midge took her blood pressure and did other checks and was soon nodding happily. “Well, physically, you’re doing amazing. Keep it up.”

“I was wondering….” Betty trailed off and glanced at Jughead, who was simply standing by the fireplace, watching and he immediately straightened. “Can I have a minute alone with her?” she asked nervously.

“Of course,” he answered and took himself to their bedroom. 

“I was just wondering if you knew when my cycle would start again? I know it’s only been 6 weeks or so since I’ve been on the pill and trying to balance everything, I was just wondering how long it would take.”

“Well, it shouldn’t be long now. With the pill, it should kick start it, but in the condition you were in, I mean, your body reacts when you’re starving and shuts down your cycle. For a woman to have her period, it requires energy or calories from the body. Starvation places the body in a state where it naturally does not want to "waste" calories or vital nutrients. It must continue to breathe and pump blood and filter the kidneys, but having a period is not essential but now that you’re eating and gaining weight, it should hopefully soon kick in. Although, since you had a history of missed cycles even before this happened, it might take a while, but I expect it will show up soon,” Midge explained.

“Okay, thank you.”

“How about your anxiety? Jughead told me you’re not sleeping and I can see, despite that fact that you look healthy, you seem very tired.”

“Yeah…..i just….I have nightmares and it makes me anxious when I’m falling asleep and I can’t seem to keep my mind still and I fight sleep. I wake up a lot and when the nightmares come, it takes me a while to fall asleep again.”

“Well, I’m not a psychiatrist and I can’t begin to help you figure out what’s going on inside your head, but I think you should take the meds I prescribed you every day and not just on days where you feel like you’re having a hard time. Does that seem alright?”

“Yeah, I can do that. I’m actually seeing a therapist and she told me that what I had was good and the right dose and she would have prescribed the same thing,” Betty informed her.

“Well, how about that,” Midge chuckled. “Maybe I do know a little something. Did she tell you to take it every day?”

“We didn’t actually discuss how I was taking it. She might have thought I was taking it steadily.”

“Well, I think you should start.”

“Okay.”

“Now, do you mind if I call Jughead back?” Midge asked.

“Jug, you can come back,” Betty called out and the doctor bit back a smile when he appeared almost immediately. He came over and sat next to Betty, his hand immediately picking hers up and lacing their fingers together and it looked so comfortable, almost like they didn’t even realize they were doing it and Midge raised her eyebrows in surprise.

“You guys are a thing,” she stated. Betty blushed and Jughead just smiled. 

“Is that relevant?” he asked.

“Again, not my expertise,” Midge laughed. “Back to not sleeping. I want to give you some sleeping pills, but just two weeks worth. The first week you should take one every day and the second week every other day and then you can stop. They can become addictive and I don’t want that to happen, I just want you to catch up on your sleep. Maybe with the therapist, you can figure out the other issues.”

“You have them with you?” Betty asked.

“I don’t, but I’ll bring them by tomorrow. Tonight though, I actually want to give you a sedative, which I do have. It will knock you out and I don’t think a nightmare will be an issue. I really want you to get a good solid 12 hours of sleep, if not more. Would that be alright?”

“That sounds more than alright,” Betty said around a yawn, the thought of having that much uninterrupted sleep making her yawn already. 

“Alright, I’ll get you into bed first because you’ll be out pretty quickly.” Betty got up and headed down the hall to Jughead’s room and Midge turned to look at Jughead.

“Wow, you really are a thing,” she murmured. She studied him and bit her lip, deep in thought. “Jug, are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, after everything she’s been through and with her needing therapy and she was a virgin…of course I’m assuming that’s no longer the case….”

“Look,” Jughead sighed. “Everything that has happened has been on her terms and her choice. In fact, I was rather reluctant at first because I didn’t think it was a good idea.”

“And what, an innocent girl seduced you?” she laughed.

“Well…..yeah…and for the record, she’s no girl.”

“Jesus Christ, Jughead!” Midge fumed in a low voice. 

“Look, she’s not as fragile as you think. She can handle a sexual relationship for God’s sake.”

“Yes, but can she handle a man who doesn’t do relationships? Because I saw how she looked at you. That girl thinks she’s in love.”

“Thinks? What the fuck does that mean?” Jughead asked, shaking his head in confusion. 

“I don’t think Betty knows what she’s feeling and she’s confused…”

“You know what, Dr. Klump,” Jughead ground out and she pressed her lips together at the name, knowing that she had pissed him off. “You’re right, this isn’t your expertise so if you don’t mind, let’s get this done.” Midge whirled on her heels and grabbed her bag and headed to the bedroom. She got the shot ready and once Betty was settled under the blankets, gave her the injection and put a small bandage over it and with a smile, she left the room. Jughead held out her payment and with a glare, she simply walked past him and out of the apartment. He sighed in frustration and threw the envelope on the counter and went to Betty. She was already drifting off.

“She’s wrong, you know,” Betty said slowly, her voice tinged with sleep, her eyes closed as he settled beside her and pulled her close.

“About what?” he asked gently, realizing with regret that she had heard the conversation.

“I don’t think I love you…” her voice drifted off and he barely heard her and his heart twisted. “I know…” Betty drifted off to sleep and Jughead lay frozen beside her. 

“Fuck,” he muttered, his heart starting to hammer. 

This was exactly what’d he’d been afraid of. 

He was a mess. He had no idea what was going on inside him but he knew enough to admit that he cared about her; more than he’d ever cared about anyone and it happened so fast, he had no idea what the hell he was supposed to do with it. Did he love her? Fuck, he didn’t even know what that meant. Did she love him? Did she know what it was? Did she know because she actually knew? Or was Midge right? Did Betty just think she loved him? Maybe it was all just lust. Two horny people in lust.

 

 

When Betty woke from sleep, she lay there for a while, unsure of the time or day or where she even was for a moment. When the fog cleared a little, she noticed the curtains were drawn and the room was relatively dark, but she could tell behind the heavy fabric that it was daylight outside. Glancing at the clock sitting on the bedside table, she saw it was close to noon. 

She had slept almost 15 hours and hadn’t dreamt a single thing and she hadn’t woken up once. She was alone in bed, which didn’t surprise her, since it was the middle of the day but she suddenly wished Jughead was with her. He usually got up before her in the morning but he never left the bed without kissing her forehead and she was always aware of it and this time, she was certain he probably did the same that morning, but she missed it.

Betty sighed and got up, needing to go to the washroom. Once she was done she brushed her teeth, not liking the feeling that 15 hours of sleep gave them. When she was finished, she found herself tired again and she crawled back into bed. Within minutes, she was once again asleep.

 

 

Jughead was spending the dreary rainy day reading when Midge text him that she was dropping by with the sleeping pills for Betty. He sighed and got up from his chair and went to check on Betty. He had heard her use the washroom earlier and had decided to not check on her and just let her go back to sleep if she needed to. She was curled up sleeping again and he smiled as he watched her. When the knock at the door came he went to open it and Midge gave him a small smile and walked into the apartment.

“I’m sorry, Jughead,” she said with a sigh as she turned to him when he closed the door. “I overstepped last night and I apologize.”

“It’s fine Midge,” he said with a shrug. “I know you’re just looking out for her.”

“Yes, well still, I had no right to be so abrasive. When I left it suddenly dawned on me that you would have never gone this far with her if you didn’t truly care about her because she’s not just your latest fling, is she?” the doctor asked softly. Jughead shoved his hands in his pockets and lowered his head. 

“No,” he said quietly. Midge touched a hand to his cheek and he looked at her.

“It’s almost strange to see the man who leads the Serpents and their kingdom so fiercely looking so vulnerable,” she said with a twinkle in her eye. “Just promise me that you’ll be careful. She’s such a sweet woman and she’s been sorely mistreated and honestly, she deserves nothing but good things.”

“I know,” he sighed. “And I’m not planning on hurting her, I just….nevermind.”

“Jughead?”

“What?”

“Relax.”

“When have you ever known me to relax,” he laughed.

“Good point,” Midge acknowledged. “Is she still sleeping?”

“She was up earlier but went back to bed.”

“Yeah, she was sleep deprived. Follow the instructions for these and hopefully her body adjusts and she develops a good sleeping pattern,” Midge said as she placed the pills on the counter. “I have to get back to the hospital now and again, I’m sorry Jughead. I honestly don’t think there is a better person Betty could be with to help her recover from everything she’s been through.”

“Thank you and you don’t have to apologize,” he insisted. “Also, you forgot something last night,” he added, handing her the envelope she’d refused the night before.

“It’s on the house, hon,” she smiled. Midge reached up and kissed his cheek and let herself out, pretending she didn’t notice how he’d used his slight of hand to slide the payment into her jacket pocket. 

Jughead went to the window and pulled out his cigarettes and lit one, taking a long drag as he opened the window a little, not wanting it to rain inside. He looked out over the park and thought about the last few weeks and things everyone was saying and he let out a resigned sigh. It did appear that he had walked himself right into a relationship.

“Hell,” he muttered, resting his forehead against the glass of the window. “Good job, Jones.” 

Well, he wasn’t about to admit this to anyone. 

As if they didn’t already know.

 

When Betty woke again, she saw the time was late afternoon and the curtains had been pulled back. It was gray outside and pouring rain. She got up and visited the washroom and then walked down the hall. Jughead was sitting in the large sofa chair, reading a book. She walked over quietly and he looked up and smiled at her. 

“Hey,” he said softly, putting his book down. 

“Hi,” Betty whispered and then surprised him by settling on his lap and curling into him, breathing in his familiar scent of tobacco and soap. His arms went around her immediately and she sighed with contentment, pressing her face against his neck.

“You sleep well?”

“It appears I did,” she chuckled. “I’ve been dead to the world for almost 20 hours. I feel like I lost a day. Anything exciting happen?”

“Nothing at all,” he said, his mouth brushing her temple. “It’s been raining almost as long as you’ve been sleeping and everyone is just kind of taking a breather today. Do you feel rested?”

“Yes, but I feel incredibly lazy and just want to sit right here for about a year.”

“Well, I won’t say no to that,” he said with a smile. Betty lifted her head and returned his smile.

“You like me in your lap?”

“I do.”

“You know,” she said softly. “I slept so well, I never woke and I didn’t dream a single thing, but I’m not sure if I liked it.”

“Why is that?” Jughead murmured.

“Because I wasn’t aware of you beside me. Even though I wake up a lot when I’m restless, you’re always there, you’re always holding me.”

“I was with you the entire night and I haven’t left the apartment all day,” he said softly. “Do you remember anything from last night?”

“I remember Midge giving me a sedative and then I was lights out. I have no idea what happened after that. Nothing bad, I hope.”

“No, nothing bad,” Jughead smiled. “Only good things. You got plenty of rest, that’s the important thing. Midge dropped off the sleeping pills earlier, so when you’re ready for bed again, you can take one. It won’t knock you out quite like last night and hopefully if you do dream, it will be a good dream, but you’ll sleep well.” They sat silently for a while, listening to the sound of the rain against the window, Jughead’s hand slowly stroking her back.

“Jug?”

“Hmmm?”

“I have to tell you something,” she whispered. His hand stopped moving and he waited and it seemed to her that he was almost holding his breath.

“What’s that?” he whispered back.

“If Jellybean makes you choose, it’s okay if you don’t pick me.” He froze and she lifted her head and saw the look of surprise on his face. He clearly hadn’t been expecting that.

“Betty, she’s not going to make me choose,” he insisted.

“You don’t know that,” she said quickly, feeling tears sting her eyes. God, why was she getting emotional again? This wasn’t supposed to happen. She hadn’t meant for _this_ to happen. “I’m sorry,” Betty said quickly. “I didn’t mean to say…..I mean, we weren’t supposed to end up here and I know all this relationship stuff isn’t supposed to happen and I don’t know why I’m even saying anything….ignore me.”

“Okay,” Jughead said with a sigh. “We keep dancing around this issue and everyone is always dancing around this issue, how about we just get this out of the way, yes? The big relationship question.”

“Jughead, you don’t have to say anything,” Betty insisted.

“No, I do,” he said softly. “Basically since you got here, Cheryl’s been filling your head with my past flings. Yes, it’s true, I’ve never been in any kind of relationship that involved feelings. I’ve never slept with a woman, past…well, sleeping with her. I’ve never been in a committed relationship. I’ve never shared a bed other than sex or a home with a woman. I’ve never wanted to. I didn’t want a relationship, I didn’t want feelings, I didn’t want any of it. And if I’m going to be honest, even after me and you started, I still didn’t want it. I told myself this was just sex, we both wanted it, it was amazing, and if it ended, we’d both be fine, no matter what everyone was saying. I was clearly lying to myself and I knew it. But then I saw Jelly and saw how upset she got and the same thought went through my head. What if she tells me I have to give you up….” His voice trailed off and she held her breath as she watched his face, watched him struggle to find the right words without completely giving up his heart.

“Jug?”

“I decided that for as long as you want me, I’ll protect you. Even after this is all over and your brother is gone and you’re completely safe, if you want….” Betty bit her lip, realizing what he was doing without actually saying the words. His sister would honor his promise to protect her and at the moment, he didn’t have to completely give up his heart. “If you want to stay, I promise I’ll protect you as long as you want.”

“So we’re in a protection relationship?” she asked, biting back a laugh.

“Fuck,” he sighed, letting his head drop back on the couch. “I’m so bad at this.” She let out a giggle and wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him close.

“Jug?”

“What?” he grumbled.

“I really like you.”

“I really like you too.”

“So we’re going to keep having sex?” Betty asked with a grin. “With protection feelings?”

“I guess,” he sighed. She started to laugh and he grinned sheepishly, hugging her tight. 

“You’re right; you really are bad at this.”

“Well, I did warn you,” he laughed. She snuggled back in, her head on his shoulder and smiled. He was clearly still terrified of whatever was going on and frankly, so was she but she was at least happy now that it was settled that there was more here than just sex. They were tentatively in a relationship and like he had stated the day he had stepped into the shower with her, she was his. She felt his lips brush her forehead and she bit her lip.

“Jug?”

“Betty?”

“Have you ever snuggled before?”

“Not with feelings.” She heard the smile in his voice and laughed against his neck. 

“It’s so dreary out today,” she said after a while, gazing at the window and watching the water run in tiny rivers down the glass.

“I like the rain,” Jughead admitted.

“Why?”

“Washes everything clean. It always feels like a fresh start after the rain.”

“I’ve always wanted to kiss someone in the rain,” Betty said softly, her fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.

“Wanna go on the roof?” he asked, completely serious. She smiled and kissed his jaw.

“Too chilly probably. If there’s ever a lovely sun shower, let me know.”

“Will do,” Jughead laughed.

“I’m really hungry,” Betty informed him just as her stomach rumbled. 

“Shall we cook or order in?” he asked and she smiled at how domestic it sounded. Almost as if it was _their_ home and not Jughead’s home. 

“I’m in the mood for some Chinese.,” she informed him. He pulled out his phone and ordered the food and when it arrived, they curled up on the couch and ate right out of the cartons.

“Give me the chicken,” Betty demanded when she finished off the beef. Jughead raised an eyebrow and let out a laugh.

“You’re like a garburator; eating everything that comes near the hole. You’re not getting my chicken.”

“I’m a tiny little woman!” she gasped. “I need the chicken! And don’t act like you don’t like my hole.” 

Jughead promptly choked on said chicken and she burst into laughter. As he coughed, she grabbed the chicken and grinned as she started eating it. When he managed to get his breath back, he grabbed her foot and dragged her down the couch to him and reached for the chicken. She held it above her head and he gave her a look that suggested she was nuts for even thinking she could keep it from him. He reached up and grabbed the box and she pouted when he took it from her.

“Poor baby,” he laughed. “She gets a bit of rest and turns all feisty and wants to get her way.” He grabbed a piece of the chicken and held it to her mouth and she smiled and took a bite. She took the rest and her tongue brushed his fingertips, his eyes darkening as he watched her mouth. She swallowed, wondering how he could make her heart race so easily as he leaned down and gave her a soft kiss and then another one. His mouth was still clinging to hers when there was a knock on the door. 

“Seriously?” she muttered with a sigh. 

“I swear I need to hang a fucking sock on the doorknob around here,” he grumbled as he pushed himself up and helped her sit up before going to open the door. Cheryl was waiting on the other side. “Of course it’s you,” he sighed. “Don’t you usually just walk in?”

“Well, I considered it but I’ve decided I better start knocking in case you two are fucking on the couch. May I come in?” she asked. He stepped aside and she strolled in, pausing when she saw Betty. “Jughead, can you give us a minute?” she asked quietly.

“Yeah sure, I need to go check on Pop anyway,” he replied. Betty smiled when he turned to look at her and nodded at his questioning expression. After he left, Cheryl came over and sat on the couch and gave her a small smile.

“I’m sorry, Betty, about yesterday. I shouldn’t have pushed so hard when I had no idea what was going on with you,” the red head said slowly. “I came by this morning to apologize and Jughead told me what’s been going on and truly, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Betty shrugged. “If it makes you feel any better, I did feel like I was going backwards and I appreciate you trying to help me push through. I needed it.”

“Not in the condition you were in, you didn’t. In fact, as tired as you were, you shouldn’t have been working out to begin with. If your body is near exhaustion, you’re going to end up injuring yourself and I really wish you had told me.”

“It doesn’t matter anymore,” Betty shrugged. “I’m hopefully on the mend now and we can continue in a couple of days.”

“Betty,” Cheryl said softly. “Why didn’t you tell me about the nightmares?”

“I don’t know,” Betty sighed, suddenly feeling tired again just talking about it. “I felt all twisted up inside and the dreams are so vivid and poor Jughead is doing his best and he almost seemed overwhelmed a couple of times and it just all seemed like too much. Pile on top of that the fact that I’m in over my head with this relationship and I’ve basically set myself for a huge heartbreak….i just….I feel like I’m losing my mind,” she managed to get out before she let a tear escape.

“Why are you in over your head?” Cheryl asked in confusion.

“Because I’ve gone and caught feelings and I know he has feelings too and he said he likes me and we’re in some sort of weird protection with feelings relationship…..”

“What?”

“Nevermind,” Betty sighed. “Jughead wants me around and well, if things go to shit…”

“They won’t go to shit,” Cheryl sighed. “I wish you would trust Jughead a little more in all this.”

“He did promise to protect me as long as I want him to, even when this is all over,” she said with a small laugh.

“If that doesn’t sound like Jughead, then I don’t know what does. Basically telling you he’s in it for the long haul if you are without actually saying it. The little shit knows how to sneak around everything,” Cheryl said with an eyeroll.

“You think that’s what he was saying? I know he wants me with him, but why can’t he just say so?”

“Sweetie,” Cheryl said with a smirk. “If he made a promise to keep protecting you, if that’s what he said, then he’s made a commitment to you. You know he never breaks a promise and he’s given himself no out.” 

“I don’t ever want him to feel trapped. I mean, if you think about it, that’s a ridiculous promise to make. I won’t need protection forever and why would I ask him for protection if I don’t need it?” 

“I’m thinking he’s hoping you’ll find a reason?” Cheryl laughed.

“I know he did it so Jellybean wouldn’t be able to force him away from me and he’s still not willing to even think about love…..it all sounds good and promising but underneath it all, it’s scary.”

“What does JB have to do with this?”

“Cheryl,” Betty said in a whisper. “Jellybean is angry with him…”

“I heard,” her friend said softly.

“He is a man who has avoided relationships his entire adult life, his sister is angry at him for the one he’s in now, I’m the sister of the man who’s brought so much pain to his life, we kind of crashed into each other and I’m just…..do I dare to hope that there is enough holding it all together?”

“Love has a way of being a really strong glue.”

“Don’t,” Betty said, shaking her head and pressing her hands together. “That’s such a huge word and I don’t know if he’ll ever say it and it’s too much pressure.”

“God, you two, as fierce as you are, literally afraid of your own shadows in all this and that’s quite the hilarious idiom since he’s the Shadow King and you were praying for shadows to rescue you.” Betty had to laugh at that.

“It’s scary,” she said, her voice a little shaky. “There is so much happening and so much that _can_ happen. I mean, I’m having dreams that Chic kills Jughead. They aren’t baseless dreams. I know my brother is a dangerous man and I’m terrified of him and I’m terrified that he’ll take Jughead away from me. We’re caught in the middle of this war of revenge and murder and abuse and the feds are involved and my god, Cheryl, it could all fall apart. It could all fall apart and I could literally lose everything,” Betty cried, the tears coming in earnest now. “The thoughts I have about what could happen, what the future could hold are so terrifying that I can’t even face my past properly and begin to heal from that let alone all this shit.”

“Do you feel that with all that happening, that getting involved with Jughead is making it more confusing?” Cheryl asked.

“No. I feel like he’s the one holding me steady. In all the chaos, I just need to look at him or touch him and I calm down and apparently it’s been that way right from the start. Before I knew he was sleeping with me, he said he would only have to touch me and I’d start to relax. I need him Cheryl. I know he can’t fix me, but I know, if he’s holding my hand, if he’s with me, I can get through it,” Betty explained, feeling like she had just pulled out her heart and shared it’s inner most feelings. She looked at her friend and was surprised to see her eyes filled with tears.

“Oh my god, you’ve fallen so in love with him, it makes my heart hurt from excitement,” she exclaimed, her hand on her chest.

“Did I?” Betty whispered. “I didn’t mean to.”

“Oh sweet Betty,” Cheryl laughed, pulling her into an embrace. “This is the most wonderful thing I think I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching.” 

“Don’t tell him,” Betty pleaded, sounding almost frantic.

“Oh my goodness; I swear it’s like watching a sexy trainwreck.”

“Well, that doesn’t sound good.”

“Look at it from an observer’s point of view,” Cheryl smiled. “You two are committed to each other, care about each other, like each other, I dare say, love each other and you act like the world’s coming to an end.”

“Well it could!” Betty insisted.

“So what? You can hold hands while it all goes up in flames.”

“Well, there is that, I guess,” Betty laughed. “I just wish things were easier and life wasn’t so shitty, you know?”

“Well, at the risk of sounding morbid, if all this awful stuff hadn’t happened, you wouldn’t have met Jughead,” Cheryl said softly.

“If I could wish for things to come true, I’d wish that my parents were still alive, that my sister wasn’t missing, that Jellybean would be off at school living her best life and I would have just bumped into Jughead on the street or in a coffee shop,” Betty sighed.

“Ahhh, a nice simple life,” Cheryl chuckled. “Doesn’t seem to be in the cards for us, does it?”

“How did you do it, Cheryl? How did you get past all the awful stuff from your past?” 

“Well, im still working on that but mostly it was finding support, and trusting that support,” she said softly. “And I’ll dare say it, Toni was a rock for me, it was her hand I was holding and I never let go, so don’t let go of his hand, Betty, even when it feels impossible.” Betty sighed and nodded and gave the woman a tight hug.  
‘  
“I love you, Cheryl,” she said quietly. 

“Well see? It’s not that hard to say it,” the red head said with a twinkle in her eye. Jughead came back into the apartment then and he frowned when he saw Betty wiping her face.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing,” Betty answered with a shaky smile. “Just girl talk.”

“Well, I’m going to get out of your hair and let you two relax,” Cheryl said as she got up and walked to the door. She paused and turned to look at them. “Jughead, why don’t you tell Betty about the party we’ll be attending next week,” she said with a wink and laughed at his glare as she left.

“Party?” Betty asked curiously.

“I swear Cheryl gets up in the morning and tries to figure out ways to irritate me,” Jughead sighed. He dropped onto the couch and grabbed the remote and Betty grabbed it out of his hand. 

“What party?” she asked again.

“Before all this stuff with your brother went down, we went on a heist for a bag of rubies for a client. We ended up stealing a bag of diamonds instead because we didn’t bother checking the bag. The rubies have surfaced again and since we still need to get them for our client, we will be attending a party at the home where they are being kept so we can steal them…..again….” Jughead explained. “We’ll also be putting the diamonds back.”

“Oh, that’s cool,” Betty said. “So, it’s a work thing.”

“Yes, but an easy one that will require very little preparation,” he said as he grabbed the remote back and started flipping through the channels. Betty settled against his side and rested her head on his shoulder. “Would you like to come?” he asked softly. She sat right back up in surprise.

“Are you serious??” she exclaimed. “What would I be doing?”

“Well, you’d be my date, the sexy woman on my arm,” Jughead smiled. “You’d be my lookout, wearing a pretty dress or whatever Cheryl thinks would work. She usually takes care of what we all wear depending on what kind of party we’re crashing.”

“I would love to!” Betty said in excitement, clapping her hands. Jughead laughed and grabbed her chin, pulling her in for a kiss. Her enthusiastic response had him pulling her onto his lap and kissing her until she was gasping for breath. 

“What did you and Cheryl talk about,” he asked when he finally pulled away and they settled back to watch TV.

“You,” Betty smiled. 

“I don’t want to know,” he sighed and she hugged him close. That was good because she wasn’t about to tell him.

 

Betty opened her eyes in confusion and realized it was dark out and she was back in bed, Jughead’s arms wrapped around her. She must have fallen asleep watching TV. She shifted and looked at him, his face so handsome, even in sleep. He wasn’t wearing a shirt and she came a little more awake as she let her hand smooth down his torso. Who could blame her, really, the man was fit and sexy and they hadn’t been intimate in a few days and she was suddenly aching for him. 

Betty moved her hand lower, trailing her finger along the waist band of his pajama pants and pressed a kiss to his chest. He stirred and she smiled against his skin, moving her mouth up to his neck, pressing soft kisses under his ear. Even though he wasn’t exactly moving, she felt him suddenly go completely still as he woke to her mouth teasing his ear. 

“What are you doing?” he murmured, his hand moving down her back and pulling her closer. She just smiled and shifted so she lay on top of him and his hands automatically moved to her thighs, shifting her so she straddled him, her heat cuddling his body that was starting to respond to her teasing. 

“I woke up and I needed to touch you,” she whispered, her lips brushing his as she finally reached his mouth. She pulled her head back and looked down at him in the darkened room. His hands slipped into her shorts, stroking gently over her back side, pressing her down as he moved instinctively against her.

“You know,” he spoke, his voice husky and soft, causing a shiver to run through her. He had barely begun touching her and already her body was responding, moving with his. “Midge didn’t think this was a good idea.” 

“Well, I won’t tell her if you won’t,” Betty said, biting her lip. He smiled and pulled her mouth down to his, his kiss lazy and slow. She rolled her hips, pressing against his growing hardness and he gripped her hips, grinding against her as the kiss turned heated, desperate, his tongue slipping into her mouth and curling around hers. She sat up suddenly and pulled her shirt off and Jughead sat up with her, his mouth moving across her chest, his tongue gliding over her nipple. 

“Jug,” she breathed, her hand sliding into his hair and holding him to her. “I need you,” she pleaded and he fell back, his hands fumbling with her pajama shorts that she helped to push quickly down her legs before tugging on his. When she shifted and brushed over him, he groaned when he felt the silky wet arousal coat him and he quickly sat up again, adjusting her, probing at her and she slowly slid down on him, her head falling back, her arms around his shoulders. Betty moaned as he stretched her, filling her so deep she lost her breath. The feel of him huge and hard inside her, going deeper than she remembered he could go made her shudder and gasp and she fixed her eyes on his, watching them glaze with heat as she moved slowly on him. “Oh my god, Jug,” she gasped, the feel of him filling her was incredible.  


“Fuck you feel good,” he groaned as her slick heat rose and fell on him. They hadn’t been in this position yet and she decided it might be her favorite as he reached spots inside her that made her head spin. He kissed her passionately, his arms holding her steady, helping her move. She pulled back and locked her gaze with his, the intensity of his eyes making her shudder. It was almost too much, the pleasure racing through her, the heat and lust in his blue eyes, and when she felt her body begin to tighten, she whimpered, closing her eyes. “Look at me,” he whispered. She opened them again and held his gaze. When his hand reached between them and his finger gently circled her clit, she let out a low moan, jerking at his touch, her breath leaving her mouth in a gasp.

“Don’t stop,” she pleaded when he slowed slightly and he picked up the pace again, his tongue licking over her nipples, his lips pressing kisses across her chest. He stroked her clit as she rose and fell on him, his mouth latching on to her neck, sucking the skin and when he bit lightly, the delicate sting shot straight to her core and she fell apart, clenching hard on him and he fell back, groaning as her body pulled and tightened, pushing him over the edge and he came hard and deep inside her, thrusting up as he held her to him, a loud groan escaping his mouth as he emptied himself.

“Fuck,” he gasped, his hips jerking with aftershocks and she wilted down on him, his arms coming around her, holding her close, as if trying to absorb her as she lay on top of him, gasping into his neck. “Are you okay?” he asked softly, long moments later when her breathing returned to normal. 

“Mhmmmm…” she managed, not wanting to move. He laughed softly and gripped her backside, giving a teasing press with his hips. Betty groaned at the drag against her sensitive flesh. 

“I do enjoy when you maul me,” he teased, pressing a kiss to her sweaty temple. Betty grinned, pinching his side.

“I heard no protest,” she grumbled.

“And you never will,” he assured her, giving her a tight squeeze. She figured she’d better get off him and go clean herself up but she couldn’t be bothered to move and she fell asleep again, his body still connected to hers thinking that this protection relationship with feelings was the most amazing thing that had ever happened to her.


	16. Making Deals

Jughead lit a cigarette as he and Archie were once again parked and waiting for Reggie. He had now missed three meetings and they decided to try one more time. If he didn’t show they were going to have to move on.

“Do you think he got found out?” Archie asked, taking a sip of the tea he held. Betty had insisted he take it along because out of nowhere he suddenly had a nasty cold and she promised him it would help clear his head. He grimaced and looked into the cup. “What the fuck is in this?” he asked. “Your girl trying to kill me?”

“No idea,” Jughead sighed. “She made me drink one too because she didn’t want me getting sick. Some old recipe her mother used to cook up,” he finished with a laugh.

“So, that was interesting,” Archie smiled.

“What?”

“I called her _your girl_ and for once you didn’t get annoyed with me.”

“Archie?” Jughead sighed.

“Yeah?”

“I think I’m in a relationship.”

“Yeah you are,” Archie laughed.

“My sister’s going to kill me.”

“Nah, she’ll be alright…..holy shit,” he suddenly exclaimed, sitting up straighter. “He’s here.” They watched Reggie hurry across the street and climb into the back seat of the car and when he was settled, Jughead handed him a cigarette.

“Where the fuck you been?” he asked.

“Busy,” Reggie muttered.

“Busy?” Archie asked with a laugh. “You forgetting about our little deal? You can’t just fucking disappear! Now, where were you?”

“Doing a delivery.” The way Reggie flushed and seemed to wilt into the seat made Jughead’s stomach turn with unease.

“What kind of delivery?” he asked, jaw clenched.

“What do you think?” Reggie asked sullenly. 

“Fucking hell, Reg,” Archie sighed before he sneezed into his arm.

“You sick?” 

“No, I’m sneezing for fun.”

“You don’t have to be an asshole,” Reggie grumbled.

“Where was the delivery?” Jughead asked. 

“Miami. At the docks. Don’t ask for an address because I have no fucking idea. I wasn’t privy to that information.” 

“Are there a lot of deliveries there?”

“I don’t know man,” Reggie sighed. “The merch goes all over.” Jughead moved suddenly, twisting and reaching back, grabbing the man by the shirt and pulling him half over the front seat.

“They are girls and women, fucker, not merchandise. Get it right!” he snapped into his face before shoving him back into the seat. “Who was she?”

“I don’t know, Jughead, okay? I never know anything about them! I just do what I’m told.”

“That’s funny. If you had done what you were fucking told you would have never been kicked out of the Serpents and you wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“Yeah and your sister would be someone’s fuck slave.” Jughead felt the rage boil inside him and he grabbed the man again and slammed his fist into his face. He was about to do it again and Archie shoved him back. 

“Come on man,” he said quietly. 

“I’m on the verge of telling you two to go fuck yourselves,” Reggie fumed, wiping at his bleeding mouth. “Every time I get in this fucking car, I get punched.”

“And I’m about to hand your ass over to the feds!” Jughead snapped. “Either you do as you’re told, or your ass is going to prison.”

“And I’ll tell Chic where he can find you,” Reggie snapped back. Jughead reached for him again and Archie pulled him back.

“Fuck, Jug, come on!” he yelled. Jughead shook him off and grabbed for his smokes. Archie looked back at Reggie.

“Is there any information that’s actually fucking useful?” he asked.

“They’re starting to trust me more and I might even know where Chic is at some point,” he mumbled. “Right now I don’t have much else. Chic is asking around about you Jughead but he’s not showing your picture, as far as I know. Something about wanting you for himself.” Jughead snorted and took a drag of his smoke. Oh, he couldn’t wait until he was face to face with that prick. “That’s just stuff I’m hearing when I’m listening in on people. I don’t get a lot but I’ll keep looking.”

“Alright, thanks. We’ll be back,” Archie said.

“Yeah,” Reggie said grumpily as he climbed out of the car. 

Archie jumped when Jughead suddenly hit the steering wheel in anger.

“A fucking delivery? Mother fuckers!”

“We’re going to get them Jug,” Archie assured him.

“What if we don’t?”

“Since when do you worry about accomplishing something?”

“Since we’re thieves and have never been up against the sickest fuckers imaginable,” Jughead growled out. “I feel like I’m out of my league here. Do you know all the shit that could go wrong?”

“Yes, Jughead, I’m aware. That’s why we’re spending day and night making a plan, figuring out how to get in and out of that mansion, covering all our bases. We’ll get it done!”

“Yeah,” Jughead muttered, feeling unsure and a little unmoored for the first time in his life. He started the car and headed home and all he could think about was how close Betty had come to being in the hands of monsters. Maybe worse than the one who’d already had her. 

 

 

Betty was sitting in the lounge, at the bar and having a laugh with Toni when Archie and Jughead walked in. She immediately noticed how agitated Jughead was and watched him in concern. He caught her gaze and the intense look in his eyes almost knocked her off her stool and her heart started to race. He walked behind the bar and grabbed the scotch and poured himself a shot that he downed immediately and then he walked over to her and took her hand, giving a little tug and motioning with his head to the kitchen area behind the bar. She followed him and once inside, he closed and locked the door.

“Jug, are you alright?” she asked softly and then made a small sound of surprise when he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly, his face buried in her hair. She felt a shudder go through him and his hand wrapped around her neck, holding her close, so tightly, she almost lost her breath. Then his hands were holding her face and his mouth covered hers, giving her a deep thorough kiss. He kissed her like a man starved and she could only grasp his shirt to steady herself as he devoured her. He tasted like scotch and tobacco and she was suddenly insanely aroused. When he pulled back, she was gasping for breath. “What on earth?” she managed right before he kissed her again, backing her up against the door. She didn’t know what was wrong with him but the way he was kissing her made her ache all over and she let her arms wrap around his neck and pressed herself closer.

“God, if we had waited even one more day, you wouldn’t….I was almost too late,” Jughead pulled away, rambling and his voice trailed off and she shook her head in confusion. “I need to tell you something,” he breathed, his forehead resting on hers. Betty felt a little anxiety swirl in her stomach, unsure of what he was so agitated about.

“Okay,” she whispered, her fingers curling around his wrists as he held her face.

“I want you to know that I will always protect you, _always_ ,” he said firmly. “I will never let anything or anyone hurt you if I can help it.”

“I know, Jug.”

“I just….” He swallowed and let out a shaky breath. “I’m so thankful that we got you out of your prison when we did.” She went still and he lifted his head, his eyes dark and intense, burning into hers. 

“Me too,” she whispered. “Chic was supposed to move me the next day,” she added, her chin quivering.

“I know baby,” he breathed, pulling her closer.

“What happened today, Jug?” she asked softly, wondering why he was acting a little crazed.

“I really missed you.”

“It’s only been a few hours,” she smiled, playing with the hair on the back of his neck, knowing he didn’t want to share what really set him off. “Is this the feelings talking?” she teased. 

“Yes,” he sighed. “In copious amounts.”

“Do you want to go upstairs?” she asked breathlessly, her lips feathering across his jaw. His hold tightened and he caught her mouth with his, lips clinging in a gentle kiss.

“Yes…”

A bang on the door had them both jump.

“Jug, Archie needs you,” Toni called out loudly and Betty moaned in protest.

“Fuck,” Jughead growled against her mouth. “Every fucking time.” Betty pulled back and smiled at him.

“There’s always tonight,” she assured him. He gave her another swift, thorough kiss and then he left the kitchen. Betty let out a long breath and leaned against the sink. Toni popped her head in and smirked.

“You didn’t fuck on the counter, did you?” she asked. Betty rolled her eyes.

“In five minutes, Toni?”

“Plenty of time,” the woman laughed as she went back to the bar. Betty came back out and took her seat again and looked over where Archie and Jughead were deep in discussion over some papers.

“What are they talking about?”

“Some security system for the FBI heist. They need to know how long they can shut it down before it alerts security. By the way, Cheryl says you should come over this evening and we’re going to discuss what you’ll wear for the party on Friday.”

“Oh, how exciting,” Betty exclaimed. “Are you guys coming too?” 

“Probably. I wouldn’t say no to a party. This one will be more fun than work,” Toni laughed. “The day that JB was…..the day she ended up in the hospital, we worked the same place, thinking we were stealing the rubies but it ended up being diamonds. We actually hadn’t fucked up like that in years and all because we didn’t bother checking the bag. But besides that, we had a good time. These people are stupid rich and honestly don’t even know most of the people at their parties. They just send out an invitation in the rich circles and people show up. So it’s not that secure and we can relax a little.”

“What about the one for the FBI?” Betty asked curiously.

“That one will be anxiety inducing. We will have to play that one as tight as we can without a second to fuck up. High stakes that could be a matter of life or death,” Toni explained seriously.

“Well, that doesn’t sound that fun,” Betty sighed. “Pass me a water please?” Toni handed her the water and she took a sip just as FP walked into the lounge.

“Great news everyone,” he said with a broad smile. Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look. “Jellybean is being released to come home on Saturday!” A cheer went up and Betty looked at Jughead and his happy smile made her stomach clench. “How about we set up a big party right here for Saturday night. Set up a comfortable chair for her to sit and enjoy the fun?” FP continued, looking at Toni. 

“Sure thing,” she said enthusiastically. He walked over and asked for a whiskey and then he turned to observe Betty.

“You doing alright?” he asked curiously, which she found odd since the man never bothered to ever talk to her.

“Fine, thanks,” Betty said quietly. She glanced at Jughead and while he was listening to Archie, he was keeping an eye on his father.

“It’s good news about JB, huh?” he asked with a smile. “Finally she gets to come home.”

“Yes, it’s wonderful,” Betty nodded with a small smile.

“If it’s all the same, I think it best if you don’t come to the party,” he suggested slowly. “JB’s already upset about you and my son, I don’t think she needs to see you on her first day home.”

“What the fuck, FP,” Toni fumed, having heard his suggestion.

“It’s okay, Toni,” Betty said with a gentle smile. “I completely understand and I agree. I wouldn’t want to intrude on her homecoming, especially if I make her uncomfortable. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” she added quietly as she hopped off the stool. “I think I’ll go for a swim.” Betty left, the anxiety in her gut swirling even bigger.

 

 

Jughead watched the interaction between Betty, Toni and FP and when Betty left the lounge, he got up and walked over to the bar, feeling that something wasn’t quite right if the anger on Toni’s face was any indication.

“What’s going on?” he asked casually, staring at his father.

“Well, FP just told Betty that she wasn’t welcome at JB’s party,” Toni fumed. 

“Okay, seriously Toni? That’s not what I fucking said!” FP snapped. “I suggested she doesn’t attend so JB isn’t uncomfortable.”

“Wow, you’re a fucking piece of work,” Jughead growled. “Don’t talk to her again!” he snapped at FP.

“She went for a swim,” Toni said, her tone suggesting he follow her. Jughead nodded and left the lounge. He headed for the pool and when he pulled open the door, she was sitting on the edge, still in her shorts and t-shirt, her legs dangling in the water. He walked over and squatted down beside her, his arms resting on his thighs.

“You okay?” he asked softly. Betty turned and smiled at him.

“Yeah,” she replied with a shrug before turning her gaze back to the water. Jughead pulled his shoes and socks off and rolled up his pant legs and sat down beside her, lowering his feet into the water next to her.

“I’m sorry about my father. Please don’t take anything he says to heart. He’s a dick and he always will be.”

“He’s right,” Betty said softly. “I know me being at the party would be upsetting to JB and I definitely don’t want that on her first day home and I won’t attend.”

“Betty,” Jughead sighed, taking her hand.

“Jug, it’s fine. Really,” she insisted, squeezing his fingers. “Besides, we’ll be at the party on Friday night for the rubies and I’ll be all partied out,” she added.

“You really think I’m going to leave you all alone while everyone in the building is at a party?” he asked incredulously. 

“Yes, because I’m a grown up,” Betty laughed. “Your sister deserves this and it will be fine. Now, I’m going to change the subject and talk about this pool. I can’t believe I’ve been here for 2 months and I’ve never been in it?”

“Seriously?” Jughead asked, surprised. “I figured you’d have taken a dip by now.” 

“Nope and I now realize I don’t even have a suit. I guess I could borrow one from Toni or Cheryl,” she said thoughtfully. 

“You don’t need a suit,” he smirked as he took his phone out of his pocket and set it aside before pushing himself off the edge and into the pool.

“Oh my god,” Betty laughed. “What are you doing?” Jughead smiled and moved in front of her, resting his hands on the edge on either side of her and pushed himself up in front of her. Betty swallowed, her eyes moving over his torso, and he’d be lying if he’d said he didn’t enjoy how much she seemed to appreciate his body. He worked pretty hard to stay in shape and if she wanted to eye fuck him, he wasn’t going to complain.

“Going for a swim,” he said with a chuckle before leaning in to give her a soft kiss, effectively soaking her. “Would you like to join me?” he murmured, his lips brushing against hers, his hands settling on her waist and tugging her forward. 

“I feel like this is something we should be doing at night, when everyone is in bed,” she giggled as she let him pull her into the water. She gave a small gasp at the chill of it and he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to give her even a little warmth.

“Why is that?” he asked with a smirk. “You planning on being naughty?” Betty rested her hands on his shoulders and let her legs float up, wrapping them around his waist and he suddenly wanted to be naked.

“I don’t know, I think that might be your idea. I mean, you are the one who dragged me into the kitchen in the lounge and got me all aroused and now you’re pulling me into a pool fully clothed. I’ve seen movies, Jughead, this always ends in a rather heated makeout session,” she said with a grin.

“Movies, huh?” he noted with a chuckle. “Dare I ask what kind of movies? And what was that about being aroused?”

“Really fun movies,” she teased, her hands tugging on his soaked t-shirt and pulling it up so she could get her hands on his skin. “And yes, your tongue in my mouth and your hands on me usually arouses me,” she noted. “How are you so sexy?” she asked, raking her nails along his sides and he grunted in pleasure. 

“I guess I finally grew into my gangly teenage body,” he laughed. 

“Hmmmm, long and skinny, huh? Tripping over your own feet a lot?” 

“You have no idea,” he admitted, leaning in and nipping at her chin.

“I’d have done you,” she said casually as she rubbed her core against the front of his jeans. Jughead felt himself twitch and leaned back and gave her a look that was part surprise and part _what the fuck?_ and she bit her lip to stifle her giggle.

“You’re a naughty little shit, you know that?” he growled sensually, running his hand along her leg. 

“You like it,” she whispered, leaning in and giving him a soft kiss. Her mouth drove him nuts. Her lips soft and warm and it didn’t matter what he was thinking or doing as soon as they touched his, he completely lost his train of thought and fell under her spell.

“How do you know how to kiss so good?” he asked, flicking his tongue as he spoke. She answered back with a flick of her own and he groaned, his hips bucking against her in a reflex that he just couldn’t help.

“You taught me,” she breathed, her hands sliding into his hair. She pressed her mouth to his again and Jughead lost himself in her kiss, feeling his arousal move through him. She was so soft and sexy and images of her in the shower during their first night together suddenly slammed into his brain and he groaned into her mouth, wanting to strip her down and taste her again. All wet and dripping with both water and arousal.

“I want to touch you,” he murmured against her mouth, sliding his tongue along her lip, his hand teasing along the inside of her thigh. 

“Someone could walk in,” she whimpered, even as she shifted toward his hand. “I think you’re the one who’s naughty. First the garage and now here. Public sex does it for you?” she asked before a groan escaped her as his fingers brushed over her front.

“I don’t think it’s the location,” Jughead spoke, his fingers tugging at the button and zipper of her shorts. “It’s just you. I see you, I want you. I don’t give a fuck where we are.”

“And I’m naughty?” she asked breathlessly. Jughead slid his hand inside the front of her shorts and he found her silky and wet. A wetness that had nothing to do with the water they were in. “Shit, Jug,” she moaned, bucking her hips into his fingers. 

“Do you want to come, Betty?” he whispered hotly against her ear. She nodded and whimpered when his fingers slid further down, probing at her. “I can’t hear you,” he growled.

“Yes, I want to come,” she begged.

“Good girl,” he smirked, his finger sliding inside her. She was so warm and tight and he pressed deep, letting his thumb slide over her clit. Her moaning shot lightening straight to his cock and he realized he was extremely uncomfortable in his wet jeans. She grabbed his face and pressed her mouth to his, her tongue pushing into his mouth and he promptly lost his balance, and they went under. Somehow he managed to right them, his hand still inside her shorts and she gasped when they came back up.

“We’re going to drown,” she gasped, even as she pressed closer. How he managed to keep stroking her during the wipeout was beyond him, but he kept at it, his fingers moving in and out slowly, his thumb circling her swollen nub. He moved them a little closer to the edge and he could feel her trembling as he took her mouth again, his kiss slow and lazy as he gently stroked her. He could feel her start to tighten and he smiled against her lips.

“Come for me baby,” he urged, applying more pressure and pressing deeper with his fingers. He lifted her slightly and lowered his head, biting at her pebbled nipple through her shirt.

“Oh my god,” she moaned, her head falling back as her body shook. 

“That’s it,” he whispered. “All over my fingers.” She fell apart, unable to stop the cry that echoed around the pool as her body clenched on him. She moved with him, riding his fingers through her orgasm, her mouth latching onto his neck to muffle her cries. “Fuck,” Jughead muttered as she pulled at him, almost feeling it around his erection which was becoming painful. When she stopped quivering around him, she pulled back, her face still dazed and flushed and he kissed her again, pulling his hand from her clothing and gripping her hip, pulling her against him. Betty pushed away, breathing heavy and he watched as she took his hand and moved to the stairs and climbed out of the pool.

Jughead stared at her, her clothes clinging to her, the tight tips of her breasts straining against her shirt that was molded to every curve, water dripping off her, her eyes simmering with fire. She held out her hand and he climbed out, his body tense with arousal as her eyes slowly ran down his length. God she was good at that. He never had any doubt about how much she wanted him and despite that fact that he’d been with women before, Betty made him feel like he’d never been noticed before she came along. 

She took his hand and led him into the sauna and locked the door. She was wise enough to turn the heat off and then peeled off his shirt, her mouth devouring the skin she uncovered. Her hands fumbled to get open his jeans and it was a struggle trying to push them down, especially because he couldn’t stop kissing her. She managed to get them down and he breathed a sigh of relief when he was free from his tight confines as her hand wrapped around him and he groaned into her mouth, his hips moving seemingly on their own. Betty grinned at him and pushed him down on the bench and he let out a breath when she knelt between his knees.

“What are you doing?” he growled heatedly, knowing it was a stupid question, because it was very obvious what she was doing. 

“Being naughty,” she teased with a smirk, her hand moving over his aching arousal. She leaned forward to place a soft kiss on the tip and he took a deep breath, holding it before letting it out in a low groan as she ran her tongue up the length and took him in her mouth. She worked him slowly, still learning what he liked and if he was going to be honest, she could have just pressed her lips to him and not done anything else and he would have loved it, but she was determined and began to tease, dragging her tongue, swirling it around his tip, taking him deep and tugging on him as she ran her hands up his thighs, raking her nails along his skin and he growled at the sensation. 

Jughead looked down and had to work hard to not spill when he saw her wet tongue lick over him. He wasn’t going to last long if she kept this up and it seemed like she sensed his thoughts and started to move her mouth faster, pulling him deeper and his head fell back against the wall as his body started to tighten.

“Betty, I can’t hold it,” he groaned, wishing he had more control over himself but watching her pretty pink mouth doing such dirty things to his cock made it impossible.

“Come for me,” she demanded, mimicking his earlier order as she pulled her mouth off before taking him deep again. Her sudden dominance and feeling her tongue wrap around him as she sucked was his undoing and he let out a growl as he released in a rush, his orgasm licking through him as he emptied himself inside her mouth and she moaned at the taste of him and continued working him until he relaxed and his body stopped shuddering. Betty slowly pulled away and grinned up at him as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

“Holy shit woman,” he gasped, pulling her up and giving her a thorough kiss. “You have no idea how badly I want to fuck you right now,” he sighed when he pulled away.

“Well, we do have a habit of just doing it wherever, so I certainly won’t protest,” she giggled as she sat across his lap. 

“No, I want to be thorough, I want you in bed, on cool sheets, your body sliding across the satin, your head pressed in the pillow….” He murmured across her shoulder, picturing her spread out on his bed, on their bed.

“That sounds like the most delicious date,” she said softly, pressing her lips to his cheek.

“Pencil me in for tonight,” he smiled and she nodded happily. They sat quietly for a while, enjoying the peace and quiet before leaving the small hideaway. “Betty, about Jellybean…”

“Stop,” she whispered. “I don’t want to talk about all that right now.”

“Alright, but we will talk about it at some point,” he insisted, cupping her chin and studying her face. She only nodded. “Well, I should probably get back to Archie except I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to get those wet jeans on again,” he laughed. 

“I’ll go get you a towel,” she offered, getting off his lap. She left and Jughead let out a long breath. Getting her off in the pool, a blow job in a sauna; yes, she was definitely different and he suddenly realized that with her, things would never be dull or boring. She came back with a towel and he wrapped it around himself and after giving her a lingering kiss, headed for the locker room to put on some dry clothes. 

“You have anything to wear down here?” he asked, as he toweled his hair. 

“I’ll just go upstairs and change. I’m not dripping anymore, so I shouldn’t leave a mess on the floor. I’ll take your clothes and throw them in the wash.” 

“Thanks,” he smiled, handing her the soggy items. He pulled on some sweats and a clean t-shirt and went back to the pool for his phone and shoes. “I need to get back to the meeting and I’ll see you later, okay?” he spoke softly, tugging her closer for a kiss.

“Yes, we have a date,” she said, a pretty flush covering her cheeks. 

“You just sucked me off in the sauna and you’re blushing about a date?” he laughed. He was rewarded with a smack on the arm.

“Oh my god, shut up,” she huffed and he laughed harder before pulling her close for a dirty wet kiss. “Mmmmm, more,” she whimpered when he pulled away and he shook his head at her antics.

“You drive me crazy, you know that?” he said gruffly. “You’ll be alright?” She smiled and nodded and they left together, heading to the elevator and riding it to the second floor. “I’ll see you later.” He said softly before he stepped off and she pressed the button for their apartment floor.

 

 

Jughead got back to the lounge and headed over to where Archie still sat, this time joined by Sweet Pea. 

“Good of you to join us,” Archie smirked. “You go for a swim?” he asked, motioning to his wet hair. “And why are you wearing sweats?”

“My jeans got wet,” Jughead said simply.

“I’ll bet,” Pea said with a grin and Jughead rolled his eyes.

“Okay, where were we.”

“Well, we’ve actually developed a bit of a problem regarding the heist on Friday,” Pea said, handing Jughead a piece of paper. “I did a little digging to see who’s going to be attending this party and you won’t believe who somehow nabbed herself an invitation; or rather, forged herself one like we did.” Jughead looked over the guest list and saw an alias he was very familiar with. 

“Fuck,” he muttered in annoyance.

Ava Ming.

Listed as her alias, Christine Bennet, it seemed their rival had the same idea in mind.

“What do you think?” Archie asked. “Meet with her? See if she has the same agenda? I can’t think of any reason she would be at this party if it wasn’t to steal something.”

“Well, you guys might be interested in what else I’ve found on her,” Pea said slowly.

“What’s that?” Jughead asked, already dreading the answer.

“It seems, for a fee and because she’s arrogant and thinks she can spot a thief, she is hiring herself out to do just that. I checked around and these people are well aware that they got robbed and it’s as we suspected, the diamonds are black market and they couldn’t go to the police. After digging a little more, I found out that these parties they have been throwing over the last month is a trap of sorts to see if anyone is going to show up and steal again. Ava knows us. We’d be walking into a trap.”

“God dammit,” Jughead snapped, leaning back in his chair. He thought for a while, running ideas over in his mind and let out a long sigh. “Well boys, how does a thief get around a trap?”

“In this case, I have no fucking idea,” Archie shrugged.

“Make a deal with the gatekeeper,” Jughead smiled.

“No way,” Pea said. “There’s no way Ava is going to give up the chance to be a hero and catch us in the act. Her ego won’t allow it. To be able to bring you down after you kicked her out of here? She won’t make a deal.”

“Give her something she can’t refuse.”

“What’s that?”

“The Wellington heist,” Jughead said simply. Pea and Archie stared at him in shock.

“Are you joking? That’s a 5 million dollar payday, Jughead. You want to give that up for some fucking rubies?” Pea scoffed. “We’ve been waiting 2 years for those paintings to surface again. No way! That’s a hard pass for me.”

“Are you insane Jughead?” Archie asked with a shake of his head.

“You guys are forgetting something,” Jughead sighed, running a hand through his still damp hair. “This heist is in 4 months. Are you forgetting our deal with the feds? We have to leave after this Chic business is done. We can’t be in the country. Also, we have a good relationship with our ruby client. Hell, he’s part of the reason we’re so well off, and we’ve already promised him this. I don’t want to let him down.”

“Fuck,” Archie grumbled. “That’s a huge fucking payday to just walk away from.”

“Come on man,” Jughead chuckled. “We don’t need the money. We were doing this for the thrills and no other reason.”

“Still, it’s 5 million dollars for fucks sake.”

“We aren’t doing the heist. I won’t put the Serpents in danger of prison if the feds are watching every move. We get this Chic business dealt with and we leave the country. We start over somewhere else. Hell, retiring sounds good too.”

“Retiring?” Pea laughed. “What are you, 80?”

“Or maybe Jughead is thinking it’s time to settle down,” Archie said with a smirk. 

“So, what do you think?” Jughead asked, ignoring Archie’s insinuation. “Make the deal?”

“I think maybe you should check with a couple of other Serpents,” Pea said with a laugh. “Realizing now that we can’t do the heist anyway, I say go for it, but for some, this won’t be about the money we’re losing,” he warned Jughead.

 

 

Betty sat up in confusion when she heard Cheryl’s angry voice. She had been lying in bed reading and must have fallen asleep. Getting up, she went to the front room where she found the red head facing off with an irritated Jughead.

“Do you honestly think I’m going to be okay with you giving a 5 million dollar heist, that we have been waiting for and planning for 2 fucking years to that bitch?!”

“It’s the only way I can think to get the rubies and have her actually agree to _fail_ at what she was hired to do,” he insisted. 

“We’ll figure out a way around her!” Cheryl yelled.

“Cheryl what does it matter?” Jughead asked with a sigh. “We can’t do the heist anyway.”

“What’s going on?” Betty asked slowly, leaning against the kitchen island and looking back and forth between them.

“Jughead wants to give a big fucking pay day to Ava Ming!” Cheryl snapped angrily. 

Ava Ming. Jughead’s last fling.

“Why?” Betty asked curiously.

“Because she is security at the party of Friday. They hired a thief to catch a thief. She knows us and we will be walking right into a trap. If I can’t offer her something substantial to look the other day, we’re busted,” Jughead explained. “We can’t do the heist I’m wanting to offer her anyway, so I don’t see what the big deal is.”

“Because she doesn’t deserve to do that job,” Cheryl fumed. “That bitch stole half my shit while you were fucking her and I still haven’t gotten it back and that includes my grandmother’s spider broach. I loved that thing!” she finished in a near screech. Betty pretended she didn’t hear the _fucking_ remark and turned to Jughead.

“Cheryl’s right,” she agreed. “As a woman, you should know to never touch another woman’s things. Especially if it’s important to them.”

“Exactly!” Cheryl said firmly and Jughead started to laugh.

“You’re a thief for fucks sake. Do you know how much shit you’ve stolen that belonged to other women?”

“I didn’t know those women,” Cheryl shrugged. “I would never steal from someone I know!”

“You stole from Ava before she stole from you!” Jughead said in exasperation.

“Well, that bitch had it coming.”

“Oh my god,” Jughead sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, indicating he was getting a headache.

“Betty is right,” Cheryl insisted. “You just never mess with another woman’s things.” Betty nodded and stood beside Cheryl, arms folded over her chest in shared defiance. Jughead raised an eyebrow in astonishment, his hands resting on his hips.

“Well, Betty didn’t care when we fucked on your car last week,” he said with a smirk. 

“What the fuck?”

“Jughead!”

Both women yelled at the same time and he folded his arms across his chest in his own defiant stance. Cheryl turned to Betty and glared.

“You fucked on my car?”

“I didn’t know it was your car,” Betty said quickly before turning a furious glare in Jughead’s direction. “I can’t believe you fucking said that!”

“Kinda shoots your argument all to shit, doesn’t it,” he grinned.

“You’re an ass,” Betty snapped before she turned and stormed from the apartment. 

“Ava Ming can go fuck herself!” Cheryl snapped right after and followed her out the door. Jughead sighed and sat down on the couch, laying his head back and staring at the ceiling.

“Fucking hell,” he muttered. He suddenly had a vision of a life with 4 women driving him completely bonkers. Black, red, pink and now blonde. An array of colors, all determined to make him crazy and for some strange reason that he couldn’t quite figure out, it left a huge grin on his face. He pulled his phone out and shot off a text to Ava.

**Have time to meet?**

She answered almost immediately. **Always, Handsome. :)**

Jughead rolled his eyes and set it up and went to get Archie.

 

 

An hour later, after Betty took out her frustration on an engine in the garage, she knocked on Cheryl’s door. Toni opened it and smiled.

“Hi girl, what’s up?”

“May I come in?” 

“Of course.” Toni stepped aside and Betty walked in, seeing Cheryl sitting at the table going through some papers.

“Cheryl, I came to apologize,” she said with a sigh. 

“What for?” Toni asked curiously.

“Jughead and Betty had sex on my car,” Cheryl said with a glare. Toni tried to choke back her laugh but it didn’t work and ended up coughing up a lung and then continued laughing. “I’m sorry, is something funny?” her girlfriend snapped.

“Hell yes, it’s funny,” Toni laughed. “How on earth did you end up doing it on her car?”

“I was working on an engine, he came to see me, he kissed me, it escalated, yada yada, her car was right there,” Betty explained.

“Hood or trunk?”

“Hood.”

“Are you serious right now?” Cheryl snapped, glaring at Toni. “They fucked on my car and you want to know which part?”

“It’s funny!” Toni insisted. 

“I’m sorry, Cheryl. I promise it won’t happen again,” Betty said with a grimace. The red head rolled her eyes and put her papers down. 

“It’s fine. I’m more annoyed that Jughead wants to hand over a big pay day to fucking Ava Ming.”

“Woah, what?” Toni asked, her eyes wide. Cheryl explained and Toni looked less irritated by the idea than her girlfriend had been. “Well, if it gets us this job done and we can’t do the heist anyway, what’s the big deal.”

“Because I don’t like her!”

“You know, Cheryl, when you first mention Ava to me that time we talked on the roof, you only said she had been his last fling and that she had mentioned he liked sleeping alone. You didn’t tell me you hated her,” Betty said slowly.

“I didn’t see the need because I didn’t think I’d ever have to deal with her again.”

“Did you not like her the entire time they were…..doing stuff?” Betty asked curiously.

“No,” Cheryl sighed. “She was actually fun, even if she was cold and calculated. A few drinks helped loosen her up. When I realized she had been stealing from us, I changed my opinion.” She got up from the table and went to the fridge to grab a water and handed one to Betty and they all went to sit on the couch. 

“Did you think she made a good match for Jughead?” Betty asked softly. Cheryl laughed at that.

“God, no. She’s a man eater. If he would have attempted a relationship with that one, she’d have chewed him up and spit him out. I honestly don’t even know why he found her appealing enough to sleep with. Jughead, as fierce as he can be, is soft hearted and kind. Underneath it all, he’s snuggles by a fire and marshmallow hot chocolate. I knew, if he ever fell for someone, she would warm and friendly and sweet and I was exactly right and don’t argue that he isn’t falling for you because he is!” she added firmly.

“So why do you think they hooked up?” 

“He was probably horny and knew there was absolutely no way he was going to fall for her,” Toni laughed and Cheryl nodded.

“I agree.”

“Is it weird that I’m jealous of every woman he’s ever touched?” Betty sighed, hugging the couch pillow to her chest.

“No, it means you’re in love with him,” Cheryl smirked. Betty lay back on the couch and pressed the pillow to her face and let out a muffled yell of frustration.

“Why is this shit so complicated?” she groaned.

“It’s not. You and Jughead are just morons.” Betty moved the pillow and glared at her. 

“Don’t be rude,” she snapped.

“Then don’t be a moron,” Cheryl shrugged.

“I’m scared,” Betty said quietly.

“Of what?” Toni asked.

“Love.”

“Yeah, love’s a scary bitch and makes you wonder if you’ve lost your damn mind, but it’s the most wonderful thing in the world to love and be loved,” Cheryl said softly.

“To be loved….” Betty whispered.

“You are loved and don’t think any differently,” the red head insisted. “Everything will work out.”

 

 

Jughead sat with Archie in the back of the pretentious lounge that Ava had picked for them to meet. It was past 8:00 in the evening and he knew exactly why she had chosen to meet this late.

“Does she think this is a booty call?” Archie laughed as he sipped on his scotch and looked around at the place full of men in suits trying to pick up women. “This place is ridiculous.”

“I didn’t tell her what I wanted so I’m sure she has some kind of plan,” Jughead sighed. He knew if he’d told her he needed a favor, she probably wouldn’t have come just to be a pain in the ass. 

A few minutes later, Ava Ming arrived. As beautiful and smug as ever in a tight black dress that showed off her curves and heels that probably made her stand taller than him. She spotted him and gave him that smirking smile that probably had other men falling all over themselves but he knew the story behind it. She seduced with ease and smiles and fun and then when you least expected it, takes everything she can get her hands on. He stood and when she was close enough, she leaned in kissed his cheek and he had to clench his hand to not rub it off his cheek. She turned to sit and spotted Archie in the booth and frowned.

“Well, that’s disappointing,” she sighed.

“Nice to see you too, Ava,” Archie smirked. She rolled her eyes and sat down.

“What’s disappointing,” Jughead asked as he sat across from her. He pushed the white wine toward her, still remembering it as her drink of choice.

“Well, if he’s here, that means this is business and not pleasure,” she said coyly, taking a sip in what Jughead assumed was supposed to be a seductive action. 

“Why would you assume it wasn’t pleasure?” Archie asked, his smirk widening. Ava kept her eyes on Jughead, slowly twirling the wine in her stemmed glass.

“Because, Red,” she sighed, finally turning to look at him. “You couldn’t handle me, even as a tag team.” Archie laughed and she returned her gaze to Jughead. She was still stunning, an exotic beauty that turned everyone’s eye and she had once caught his eye enough to hook up and now all he could think about was getting the fuck out of there and lying in bed with a fresh faced spitfire blonde who’s arms felt like home.

“What made you assume it would be pleasure?” he asked.

“Oh I don’t know, we used to have a pretty good time,” she shrugged with a smile. “So why exactly did you want to see me?” Jughead decided to just get right to it.

“I need you to look the other way on Friday,” he said casually. Ava looked at him in confusion and then the look of realization crossed her face.

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,” she laughed. “You idiots stole the diamonds?”

“We want to put them back,” Archie informed her. She looked at him a moment and then back at Jughead. 

“And take what instead?” she asked with a tilt of her head.

“The rubies.”

“The diamonds are worth more,” she reminded him.

“The client wants the rubies.”

“Ahhh, an order. Sorry, can’t do that. I was hired for my expertise on thieves and I feel like on Friday, I’ll finally get lucky and show off my skill,” she smirked. “Who would hire me again if they find out they’ve been robbed right under my nose? Hmmmm?”

“We could have gone around you, Ava, but out of respect, we came to you and now we’re asking you to just look the other way. We’ll make it worth your while.”

“Is that so?” she asked, her voice dripping with sweetness that made him feel a little nauseated. “I don’t know if you’ll give me what I want.”

“And what exactly is it that you want, Eva?” Jughead asked, exasperated.

“Oh, I think you know,” she said coyly, her eyes raking down his body. Jughead leaned back in his chair and looked at Archie who merely shrugged. “How about one wild night in exchange for me pretending you aren’t at the party and I don’t expose your ass,” she suggested smugly.

“You’d look the other way for a night of fucking?” he laughed. 

“I’m sure you’d make it worth it,” she smirked.

“And that’s all it would take?” Jughead asked.

“That’s all,” she purred and Jughead sat back and looked at Archie again.

“It’s your funeral,” the man laughed. Jughead rolled his eyes and looked back at her.

“I’m not sleeping with you, Ava; that’s a hornet’s nest I have no interest in stirring up, but I do have an offer that I don’t think you’ll refuse.”

“What could you possibly have that I want?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

“The Wellington heist.”

Ava said nothing for a solid minute, completely stunned at the offer and studying his face to see if he was bullshitting.

“Why would you give me the Wellington heist for a bunch of useless rubies?” she asked in shock. 

“I need those rubies and we won’t be around to do the heist and I was going to offer it to the highest bidder, but I decided to gift it to you.”

“This is a joke, right?” she laughed. “You guys have been planning that shit for 2 years. Everybody knows it and everybody has respected you and stayed out of your way. You won the bid to collect those paintings fair and square when people were offering their services, and you low balled everyone with your idiotic five million dollar price tag. Those things are worth over a hundred and everyone was contracting for 20 million or more, then you fuckers come in with five million and obviously won.”

“We wanted the heist for the thrill of it, not the money,” Archie informed her. 

“It was stupid.”

“Well, I’m offering you a five million dollar payday that you didn’t have before, along with all our plans, all the work we’ve put in and all you have to do is collect a team of people you trust and it’s a done deal.”

“Why?” she asked again, shocked.

“Like I said, we won’t be around.”

“Are you dying?”

“None of your business,” Jughead sighed. “Do we have a deal or not?” Ava didn’t have to think twice.

“Yes,” she answered immediately. Jughead pushed his chair back and stood.

“And Ava, if you fuck us over, I’m going to hand you over to the feds,” he threatened. She sat back in surprise.

“The feds? What the fuck have you got yourself tangled up in?” she asked with a laugh.

“Nothing. Just know that it’s not an empty threat.”

“Alright,” she nodded, holding out her hand. Jughead shook it and the deal was done. “Are you going to prison? Is that why you won’t be around?” He just laughed and motioned to Archie who seemed reluctant to get up.

“How about I stick around here and buy Ava a drink and make sure she’s good and convinced not to turn on us on Friday,” his friend asked with an easy smile. That immediately caught the woman’s interest and she turned to him with a look of eager excitement. Jughead rolled his eyes and tossed some money on the table for his drink.

“Now it’s _your_ funeral,” he laughed and left the lounge.

 

 

By the time Jughead got back home it was past ten and he was tired. Both Reggie and Ava in the same day was enough to drive anybody to insanity. Not to mention his spat with Cheryl and Betty. He briefly wondered if the latter was still mad at him. He hoped not because all he could think about was a hot shower and crawling under the covers with her. They had a date and hopefully she still wanted to keep it.

He had meant to be funny with his _fucking on the car_ remark and that hadn’t gone over well. When he let himself into the apartment, it was dark and there was no light on in the bedroom and he thought maybe she was sleeping already but when he went to check, Betty wasn’t there. He sighed and pulled out his phone and text Cheryl.

**Is Betty with you?**

She answered back almost immediately. **Yup, girl’s night. She’ll be sleeping over.**

Jughead sighed and threw his phone on the bed and headed into the shower. Sleep over. Who the hell has a sleep over at 21? He finished his shower and got into bed and lay there for a while, glancing over at Betty’s side of the bed. Her empty side of the bed. He had a woman he shared his bed with. It was their bed. Never in his life did he ever think that would happen and now that she wasn’t in it, he missed her.

He read a little, tried watching TV and past midnight, still found himself unable to sleep. Well, that was a switch. Now it was him unable able to sleep without her. He finally gave up and pulled on his pajama pants and walked to Cheryl and Toni’s apartment and knocked on the door. Cheryl opened the door, holding a glass of wine and she sighed.

“Girl’s night, Jughead,” she informed him. He looked past her and saw Toni sprawled out on the couch and Betty curled up in the chair. She sat up quickly when she saw him and he felt his stomach clench with the need to hold her.

“Can I talk to you?” he said to Betty and she quickly stood and hurried over. He looked pointedly at Cheryl and she walked back to the couch. “You doing alright?” he asked, brushing his fingers on Betty’s cheek.

“Yes, I guess,” she said softly, her eyes wandering over his naked torso.

“I’m sorry about earlier today,” Jughead sighed. “I shouldn’t have told Cheryl what we did.”

“It’s okay,” Betty shrugged. “Is that what you wanted? To apologize?” Jughead pulled her out into the hallway a little more, away from Cheryl’s fixed stare.

“Yes, and…”

“And?”

“I can’t sleep,” he said sheepishly, leaning against the wall. “Me, the man who likes to sleep alone, now can’t sleep unless you’re with me.” Betty bit her lip and smiled, stepping closer to him.

“Well, if I’m being honest, I was already missing you and I was getting sleepy and I wanted to come crawl into bed with you.”

“I don’t know if Cheryl would like me ruining the party,” he chuckled. 

“I’m pretty sure she just planned it to piss you off anyway,” Betty giggled. Jughead took her hand and tugged her close and leaned down to give her a soft kiss. 

“Have fun then,” he whispered before kissing her again. He pulled away and she moved back into the apartment. Jughead winked at her and went back to his bed.

It was just after two when Jughead, having finally dozed off into a light sleep, felt the bed shift and Betty crawled in next to him. He immediately reached for her and she moved into his arms, snuggling closer.

“Did you sneak out?” he asked with a chuckle.

“Shhhh, don’t tell anyone,” she whispered, pressing her lips to his neck and breathing in his scent. “They went to bed and well, I’m not much for couch sleeping when I have a perfectly good bed right here.”

“Is that what you came for?” he smiled, rolling her so he was hovering over her. “The bed?” Betty shifted and moved her legs so he could settle between them. 

“Well, is there another reason for me to be here?” she teased, wrapping herself all around him. 

“Well,” Jughead murmured, lowering his head and pressing kisses along her jawline. “We did have a date.”

“Yeah, I remember,” she breathed, moving her head and finding his mouth. He kissed her slowly, his hands cupping her head, his tongue gently stroking hers. Long moments of lazy kissing later, Jughead pulled back and gazed down into her sleepy eyes. She looked so good, so sexy and he realized that no other woman, past and present could compare to her innocent, gentle beauty. She held his gaze and he felt his heart start to pound. Lowering his forehead to rest on hers, he breathed her in, the sweet delicate scent that always seemed to float around her. Like the most precious flower. 

“Should we sleep?” he whispered, realizing that he wanted nothing more right in this moment than to just hold her and feel her in his arms. "Have our date tomorrow instead?"

“Yeah,” she whispered back. "Deal." He smiled and shifted to the side and pulled her close and she curled into him, her head on his shoulder, her leg thrown over his hips, her arm around his waist. She fit perfectly against him and Jughead decided he wouldn’t want it any other way. He pressed his mouth to hers briefly and then watched as she fell asleep. He was just falling asleep himself when his phone dinged with a message. He frowned, wondering who was texting so late and grabbed the phone and looked at the screen.

“What the fuck?” he whispered in shock. The text was from Archie.

**Ava knows Chic.**


	17. Memorable

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh finished. I'm not 100% happy...then again, when am I ever.....but it feels choppy to me but I hope it flows better for you guys....enjoy!

Betty woke the next morning and noticed that Jughead wasn’t beside her. She looked at the time and saw it was 8:30 and then she heard the water running in the bathroom. Getting out of bed she crossed the room and opened the ensuite door. Jughead was just getting ready to shave wearing only a towel and she walked over as he glanced in the mirror and caught sight of her. 

“I’m sorry, did I wake you?” he asked softly. She shook her head and leaned against the vanity. He was about to apply shaving cream and she hopped up on the vanity and touched his face, running her fingers along the course hair.

“I like your stubble,” she said with a smile and he seemed surprised.

“Yeah?”

“I like how it feels,” Betty smiled. He put the shaving cream down and smiled.

“Well, maybe I’ll just leave it then,” Jughead winked. He grabbed a comb and tried to tame his unruly hair and she studied him for a moment before talking. He was so handsome, it almost hurt to look at him.

“So how was your meeting yesterday?” she asked quietly. He gave her a glance as he grabbed the mouthwash and took a swig. She grabbed it from him and took one herself and almost laughed as they swished together and then spit.

“It was good, she’s going to help us.”

“So she took the deal then? Cheryl is still angry about it,” Betty said pointedly.

“I know but honestly, we had no other choice,” he sighed.

“You mentioned that you couldn’t do that job that you offered to Ava; why is that?” she asked curiously.

“We just can’t,” he shrugged and Betty realized he was once again not willing to give any more information. She wondered then just how many things he was keeping from her and why. Did he not trust her? 

“Hey,” Jughead said softly. “What’s going on in there?” he asked, tapping her head with his comb. 

“Do you trust me Jughead?” she asked slowly.

“With my life,” he answered immediately and her eyes widened in surprise. “And I’m assuming you’re asking me that because I don’t always give you information you’re seeking.” Betty flushed and looked down, nodding her head. Jughead touched her chin and lifted her face so he could look at her. “I don’t tell you some things because I don’t want to worry you or upset you or simply because I don’t know how things will play out yet and I’m waiting until I’m sure.” 

“Okay,” she smiled, putting her worries aside for the moment. “Was it nice to see Ava again?” she blurted. Jughead tilted his head and gazed at her curiously. He slowly put the comb down and stood directly in front of her, nudging her knees apart and moving to stand between her legs.

“It was nice to see you when I came home again,” he said with a soft smile.

“Cheryl told me she’s really beautiful,” Betty muttered. She winced, lowering her forehead to his chest, breathing in his scent. She hated that she sounded juvenile and silly over something she shouldn’t even be bothered by.

“She is,” he said truthfully.

“You know, this would be a good time to give me one of your half truths,” she grumbled and he chuckled. 

“Look at me please,” he requested and she sighed, lifting her head. “She’s nothing more than a month of my past that isn’t worth remembering, that’s it.”

“I know I’m being completely irrational but I’ve decided to hate every woman you’ve ever touched,” she shrugged, dragging her fingers along the line of the towel across his lower abdomen, trailing it along the line of hair that disappeared beneath the material. She wondered if it was normal to always be turned on when near him and his sexy body.

“Well,” he said gently. “They never got to sit in my bathroom and watch me get ready,” he teased, like that was some big thrill; which granted, if she thought about it, it actually was.

“Or, got to wake up next to you,” she returned, biting her lip. 

“Exactly. It was just sex, Betty,” Jughead said softly, brushing his nose against hers and the fact that he was actually trying to reassure her spoke volumes.

“You know,” she said, sounding slightly disgruntled as she pulled back. “I know I’m new at this, having just recently lost my virginity, but I don’t understand the whole _it’s just sex_ thing. I mean, I understand primal urges and getting horny or whatever, but you’re being intimate with someone, you’re connecting with someone in the most amazing way. A woman takes you inside her body, you orgasm and leave a part of yourself…..”

“Okay, wait,” Jughead interrupted. “I can assure you that I’ve never done that inside any woman except for you. The only person who’s ever gotten to keep a piece of me is you.” Betty stared at him in surprise, replaying his words in her head and suddenly found herself feeling rather hot. It was intimate, personal and unbelievably sexy.

“That’s really….i mean, that’s really….is it hot in here?” she stumbled over her words and it seemed to dawn on him what he said. “I get to keep….” She was suddenly breathing heavy and his eyes had gotten dark and he was staring at her mouth. “Jug?” she said breathlessly. His eyes lifted to hers and she felt herself clench. “Do you feel like leaving a little piece right….” His mouth stopped her question and then he was carrying her back to bed, his towel dropping somewhere in between. 

 

 

“Okay, so tell me exactly what you found and how you found it?” Jughead asked Archie a couple hours later as they sat in the meeting room going over the final details of the party. 

“And why the hell were you with Ava Ming in the middle of the night?” Sweet Pea asked with a furrowed brow.

“Really?” Archie laughed, lighting a cigarette.

“You spent the night with your best friend’s ex?”

“In order for her to be my ex, we’d have needed to actually be a thing; we weren’t, let’s move on,” Jughead said with a sigh. “What do you know?”

“Well, after we finished our fun, which honestly, I thought would be a little more wild and ended up being rather vanilla, but anyway, she fell asleep and I started snooping. I don’t trust her and that was half the reason I stayed the night with her and of course the other half was the fact that she was ready and willing to….”

“Get to the point, Arch,” Jughead sighed with an eye roll.

“I didn’t find much. She has some interesting pieces of art, a lot of jewelry, some which I recognized as stolen and she’s a recreational drug user. She made a stupid mistake and didn’t lock her phone and I was able to go through that. She has a few jobs coming up that have nothing to do with anything as far as I could tell and I didn’t recognize most of her contacts, but Chic Cooper was one of them,” Archie explained.

“How the fuck does she know Chic?” Jughead fumed. “Was there any activity between them on her phone?”

“That’s the thing,” Archie shrugged. “There was nothing. No text messages, no recent calls and her history went back almost a year. She didn’t delete anything. There is no communication between them. His number is just in her phone.”

“Well, at some point, she was communicating. What do you think? Confront her at the party or just leave it?”

“I think confront her. I got no indication from her that she knew what was going on. I think she’s in the dark on this and maybe she doesn’t even know what Chic does. Let’s feel her out at the party, see if she knows anything and then confront her.”

“Alright, sounds like a good idea,” Jughead agreed. “I just hate that Betty is going. I don’t want her in harm’s way.”

“We’re all going to be there, Jug,” Pea reminded him. “We won’t let anything happen to her.”

“I know,” he sighed. “I just wish this shit was all over already.”

“We all do,” Pea insisted. “But at least Jelly gets to come home on Saturday.”

“Yeah, I’m worried about that too,” Jughead admitted.

“Why?” Archie asked.

“I’m worried about Betty. She says FP is right and she’s not going to come to the party,” he sighed. “I don’t want her to feel left out.”

“You want me to talk to Jelly?” Pea asked. 

“No, let’s just leave it alone. I don’t want Betty to be alone but I don’t want her uncomfortable either. Or JB for that matter. Hopefully this all resolves itself. JB needs to see that Betty isn’t a threat and that’s she’s just as much a victim as she is, but I’m not going to push the issue. She has the right to feel the way she does, I just don’t want her going too far or hurting Betty simply because she’s angry.”

“Well, let’s worry about this party first and then we’ll worry about JB coming home,” Pea suggested. Jughead nodded, but the worry still lingered. 

 

 

Betty was relaxing on the couch when Cheryl and Toni barged into the apartment. She looked at them in surprise and let out a laugh.

“What happened to knocking in case I’m having sex on the couch?” she asked.

“Well, we just saw Jughead so we knew you weren’t,” Toni shrugged. “He sent us to get you ready.”

“Ready?” 

“For the party on Friday. It’s time to create the look,” Cheryl said in excitement. “So let’s go.” Betty got off the couch and followed them out of the apartment. 

“Where are we going?” she asked as they headed for the elevator.

“You get to see the vault today,” Toni grinned.

“You have things to create a look in the vault?” Betty asked in confusion.

“Oh honey, just you wait,” Cheryl said with a wink as they stepped on the elevator and she selected the floor the vault was on. Once they got there, Toni punched in a code and the thick steel door swung open and Betty stepped through and gasped in surprise. 

There was stuff everywhere. All kinds of stuff. Paintings, decorative pieces, sculptures, glass cases filled with jewelry, weaponry. There was gowns and shoes and suits and tuxedos and she looked around in awe.

“Is this all stolen?” she asked with wide eyes.

“No,” Cheryl chuckled. “Some of it is, like the expensive art pieces and some jewelry but most is stuff we’ve collected at auctions and just purchased because we wanted it.”

“Why is it all in here?”

“Because it’s expensive and it’s the safest place. The vault is also fire proof so nothing would get damaged if there was a fire. So, we’re here to get you a fabulous look. This party is all about the sexy and we need you in a sexy gown.” Betty walked around, gently touching some of the items, completely enthralled by what she was seeing. 

“Why is it all about the sexy?” she asked curiously.

“Because it’s a bunch of rich people trying to show one another up. The FBI heist is a benefit, all glamour and glitz, this party is more _look how hot I am, don’t you wish you were me?_ ” Cheryl smirked. 

“But aren’t we supposed to blend in?” 

“You will,” Toni insisted. “Trust me, everyone there will be sexy and hot, you’ll fit right in and I have the perfect gown,” she added, pulling a dress from one of the racks.

“Oh my god, yes!” Cheryl exclaimed.

“Oh my god, no!” Betty gasped. “Are you insane? I know I’m still pretty small and thin but I do have boobs and they’d be popping out all over the place. I’m going to have side boob.”

“Excellent,” the red head said with way too much delight. “Jughead will hate it!”

“And that’s what we’re going for?” Betty asked in confusion. “Why on earth would we want him to hate it?”

“Oh, he’ll absolutely die because he’ll probably pop a boner when he sees you and therefore he’ll hate it,” Toni laughed. 

“Pop a boner? Seriously?” Both women burst out laughing and Cheryl took the dress and held it up to Betty. 

“Seriously, thin or not, you’re going to kill in this dress and you totally need to wear this.”

“I don’t know….” Betty said nervously, fingering the sensual dress. It was white and a shimmering satin with an open back and extremely low cut in the front and she would definitely be showing side boob. The cut in the skirt came so high, she was sure it would start at the hip. “I can’t,” she said with a shake of her head. “I have no business wearing this.”

“Oh my god, please,” Cheryl begged. “I want to see his reaction. If he isn’t in love with you yet, for the record, I think he is, but he will be after seeing you in this.”

“That’s…weird. He shouldn’t fall in love with me because of a dress,” Betty said, rolling her eyes.

“How about falling in lust?” Toni asked. “You could tease him all night in this and probably end up having the best sex you’ll ever have.” 

“See, now that’s a good argument,” Betty grinned. “I’ll do it.” Cheryl squealed in delight and then proceeded to pick dresses for her and Toni and they were just as sexy and Betty wondered if they would look a little too hot and draw attention but she decided to trust the women. It was clearly not their first time doing this. She wandered over to the glass case and stared down at the jewelry and was awed by all the beautiful pieces. “So what is it that Jughead is putting back in the vault at this party?” Toni came over and opened the case and pulled out a little velvet bag and gently poured the contents onto the glass top of the case.

“Just some ice,” she grinned.

“Holy shit,” Betty breathed as she stared at the diamonds. They twinkled in the light and she grabbed a few and put them in her palm. “These are so pretty.” She put them back down, afraid she’d drop them all over the floor.

“Speaking of diamond,” Cheryl spoke. “Jughead’s partner on these adventures is always his wife. So you’ll need a little something….” She trailed off, looking around the case. She smiled and reached in and pulled out a ring. “We usually wear this.” She took Betty’s hand and slipping the rings on her finger.

“Wow,” she whispered, looking at the large diamond sparkling up at her. She studied it for a minute and felt her heart clench a little. Something she could never have or be. Jughead’s wife. Her hand trembled a little and she pulled the rings off.

“They’re lovely,” she said softly, handing them back. Cheryl put them back and smiled gently. “What else will I be wearing? Any other jewelry? Shoes?”

“Omg, shoes,” Toni exclaimed. “Over here.” 

The rings were forgotten for the time being.

 

 

“Can I ask you something?” Archie asked Jughead as they took a break from their boxing workout and cooled down on the bench.

“What about?”

“Sex.”

“Seriously?” Jughead laughed. “I’ll venture to say you’ve had a hundred times more sex than I have. What could you possibly ask me that you don’t already know?”

“Humor me.”

“Alright, shoot…”

“What’s sex like when you actually connect with the person; when you care about them? Dare I ask, when you’re in love with them?” Archie asked quietly.

“And I’m the person to ask?” 

“Cut the shit, Jug, I know you’re in love with her. You can bullshit yourself all you want, but you aren’t bullshitting me.” Jughead leaned back against the ropes and took a long drink from his water bottle. He wiped the back of his hand across his mouth and studied his friend. He could see he wasn’t trying to rile him up and was asking a serious question. 

“You’ve never connected with anyone you’ve slept with or cared about anybody?” he asked his friend, finding it hard to believe.

“Well, I don’t have this weird aversion to love like you do, but I’m not exactly looking for it either. I like to fuck around, that’s no secret, but if I did find it, I wouldn’t be opposed to it. I’ve honestly never found or slept with anyone I cared about enough to settle. So, I honestly want to know, is sex better when you care about the person?”

“Yeah,” Jughead said quietly. 

“In what way? I mean, sex is pretty amazing, regardless, right? It feels good and all that, but how does caring about someone make it different?” Archie asked curiously. “I mean, I’m assuming that you enjoy Betty a lot more than Ava or any other chick you’ve slept with. Also, was Ava that vanilla with you?”

“Jesus,” Jughead said with an eye roll. “Can we just stop bringing her up? Especially in regards to whatever it was me and her had. It was nothing.”

“So it was boring?” the red head laughed.

“It wasn’t boring, it just wasn’t memorable. I didn’t really think about it after. When it was done, it was done,” Jughead admitted.

“And with Betty?”

“Can we get back in the ring? I’m all rested.”

“No way,” Archie laughed. “You’re not getting out of this question. Is Betty memorable?” Jughead let out a groaning sigh and ran his hands through his hair and rested his elbows on his knees, rubbing his head a while before playing with his fingers and picking at imaginary nothings on them.

“I can’t get her out of my fucking head,” he admitted. “Like ever. She’s just there all the damn time. Every look, every smile, every laugh, every glare. She’s driving me completely nuts.”

“So the sex is good?” Archie grinned.

“Fuck,” Jughead muttered, leaning back and resting his head on the rope. “It’s insanely fucking good. I can’t stop thinking about that either.”

“So, memorable?”

“Like, when we’re done I’m annoyed because I don’t ever want it to end; that kind of memorable,” he sighed.

“And you think that’s because you have a connection? Because you care about each other? I mean, she was a virgin, right? Was she an expert in bed right off the hop?” Archie asked.

“Well, im not giving you details but she caught on quick enough,” Jughead chuckled. “And honestly, it’s not even about whether she knew what she was doing, it’s just….i don’t know, the way she trusted me, the way she responded, the way she looks at me, the way she demands and orders me around when I tease….ahhh fuck, nevermind. It’s amazing, that’s all.”

“What about when it’s over and you’ve accepted the fact that it’s ended,” Archie said, his voice filled with laughter. 

“Shut up,” Jughead laughed, taking another drink of water. 

“Well, I’m guessing you don’t want her to leave so you can sleep alone…”

“No, I want to fall asleep with her in my arms. If I’m going to be honest, I kind of can’t sleep if she’s not beside me now,” he admitted. “I like waking up in the morning and she’s there.”

“So, what is it about her that’s different from any other woman you’ve been with?”

“Everything. I can’t explain it. It’s not even about the sex, which is great obviously, but I just want to be with her all the time. I think about her, I wonder if she’s doing okay, I wonder what she’s doing, when I’m not with her, I miss her…..”

“Jughead?”

“Yeah?”

“Say _I love Betty._ ” Jughead looked at him and saw the laughter on his face and he rolled his eyes and shoved him off the bench.

“Fuck off,” he grumbled. Archie laughed and picked himself up off the floor.

“So the conclusion is; sex with someone you’re in love with is amazing?” he said with a smile. Jughead let out a sigh and gave him a look and his friend just grinned.

“Yes.” 

They were quiet for a while, letting the word sit between them and Jughead’s essential admission that he was in love. 

“You know she’s in love with you too, right?” Arche asked.

“Yeah, I know.”

“And let me guess; she’s not admitting it either?” he laughed. Jughead just smiled and shrugged. “You scared?” Archie asked.

“You have no idea.”

 

 

It was Friday and Betty was getting ready in an apartment across the city with Cheryl and Toni, the guys in the adjoining place. The entire day had been a surprise to her; from the discovery that they left the Serpent building through tunnels to avoid anyone following them on the way back, to the apartments that they also owned across the city, to the girls pulling no stops on how good they would all look. Hair, nails, makeup. They were all going to look as rich as they were.

She stood in front of the mirror and gazed at her reflection and she had to admit, she looked amazing. Her hair was pulled and piled on top of her head in a cascade of curls, her makeup was flawless, her nails were French manicured tips, her white dress was revealing, the cut of the skirt coming right to her hip and there was a good amount of cleavage showing, in the middle and on the side. She was dripping in diamonds from her earrings to her multi string necklace to her bracelets. She was sensual and sexy and she couldn’t wait for Jughead to see her. She bit back a giggle as she realized he really would love it and hate it at the same time. Toni had just gotten her into mile high strappy sandals and her outfit was complete and she looked sensational. 

“My god, Jughead is going to have a stroke,” Cheryl laughed as she looked at her. Betty flushed and turned, liking the way the satin material flowed against her. It reminded her of the satin sheets that Jughead preferred and how they felt on her skin when they were making love.

“You look amazing too,” she said quickly, trying to get her mind off her naughty thoughts. Cheryl was dressed in a short, tight red dress and sky high heels and Toni was dressed in pretty much the same dress, only it was black. 

“It’s kind of hilarious that our dresses are actually smaller and more revealing in terms of legs than yours and yet you’re the one who looks like walking sex,” Toni laughed.

“I don’t know,” Betty smiled. “I think we all look like walking sex. How the hell do you guys pull off jobs looking like this?”

“Allusion and distraction,” Cheryl winked. “Shall we go see if the guys are ready?” Betty nodded nervously and followed her over to the adjoining door and they headed into the other room. Jughead’s back was to her and he was having a drink of some sort, probably the scotch he favored, talking to Archie who just happened to glance up and catch sight of her and his jaw dropped.

“Holy shit,” he gasped and Jughead turned to see what the fuss was and promptly dropped his glass, the liquid splashing across the floor as his eyes widened in disbelief. Betty clasped her hands nervously and bit her lip as his eyes raked over her slowly, taking in every bit of exposed skin, every curve highlighted by the satin, every single inch of her and he turned to glare at Cheryl. 

“Was this your idea?” he snapped. 

“What? Don’t you like it?” she asked innocently, a grin on her face. 

“She’s….there’s too much….what the hell!” he stammered, seeming unable to form a coherent sentence.

“Is there a problem?” Toni asked with a grin of her own.

“We’re supposed to blend in!” Jughead yelled. “You really think nobody will notice her?”

“Well, she’ll be the distraction,” Cheryl shrugged. “Do you really think anybody will be paying attention to the safe or the bedroom if Betty is walking around looking like this?” 

“Cheryl has a….ummm….she has a point,” Archie said, playing with the collar of his shirt, looking a little flushed as he stared at Betty.

“I swear to God, Archie, look somewhere else or I’ll knock your lights out,” Jughead growled. Betty rolled her eyes and walked over to Jughead and straightened his tie. He looked good enough to eat in his suit and she couldn’t wait to peel it off him. 

“Well, you look pretty hot yourself,” she said with a smirk. “Can I be annoyed at all the women who’ll be lusting after you?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Cheryl laughed. “And they do Betty, every time. Flirting, touching, trying to get in his pants…”

“Is that so?” Betty asked with a raised eyebrow as she smoothed her hands over his shoulder. “I guess I better practice my bitch face.”

“I doubt you could pull off a bitch face,” Jughead laughed. “You’re too sweet for that.”

“Too sweet, huh?” she asked with a tilt of her head. “Guess we’ll have to see about that.” She took his hand and lifted his arm, looking at the watch on his wrist. “I believe it’s time to go,” she winked and then, right in front of everyone, leaned in and gave him a soft, slow kiss. When she pulled back, his eyes were dark and heated and she backed away slowly, leaving him glaring after her. She turned back to Toni and Cheryl with a grin on her face and Cheryl leaned in and whispered in her ear.

“Tonight, you show him who’s boss.” 

Betty grinned and nodded, already looking forward to the end of the night when she planned on doing just that.

 

 

They pulled up to the mansion in a limo and waited while others in front of them emptied. It really was a ritzy affair and Betty was nervous and excited. Jughead, sitting beside her, sensed her restlessness and took her hand, lacing their fingers together and offered her a reassuring smile.

“It’ll be alright,” he insisted. She nodded and looked around at their crew. Tonight it was Cheryl, Toni, Archie, and Fangs with her and Jughead. Pea wasn't needed as all the research was done and there was no reason for him to tag along. Fangs was driving and would be parking and making sure their coms worked and they had quick exits if they needed them. Cheryl and Toni would mingle and distract, as would Betty, but as Jughead’s wife. Cheryl had insisted she wear the rings and she tried not to think about them, even though they felt very heavy on her finger. The finger that was entwined with his. She noticed he was playing with it, twirling it around as they sat, almost as if he didn’t realize what he was doing. Archie of course would get into the safe and Jughead would make sure Ava kept her end of the bargain and would be the one getting the jewels once Archie had the safe open and had cleared the room. Betty would be by his side, in case they needed to look like a couple looking for a place to make out.

When it was their turn, the guys climbed out first and one by one, helped the women out of the car. Jughead smiled as he held out his hand for Betty and she carefully got out they headed up the walk and handed off their invitation and then proceeded to join the party.

“Remember, tonight I’m Logan James and you’re my wife, Adison.”

“Adison James,” she said slowly. “Has a nice ring to it.”

“Almost as good as Betty Jones,” Cheryl whispered behind them. Betty flushed and Jughead glared at the red head. They walked inside and Betty gasped at the sight. There was so much light and sparkling jewels on everyone, it almost hurt her eyes. These people were rich and they weren’t afraid to show it off and Cheryl had been right; every woman was dressed to impress and show off her assets. There was sex and diamonds everywhere and the men were just as beautiful.

“Are all rich people nice to look at?” she asked in confusion. 

“Well, if they aren’t, they have the money to look however they want,” Archie laughed. “But believe me, these morons are so narcissistic and shallow, they only invite the beautiful people.”

“Alright, let’s mingle,” Jughead ordered everyone. “And keep your coms on.” He turned to Betty and lifted her hand, kissing the back of it. “Stay with Cheryl and Toni for now. Archie and I are going to scope the place out.” She smiled and nodded and he let his eyes wander over her again and sighed. “Stay out of trouble,” he grumbled. He grabbed her chin then and planted a firm kiss on her mouth, showing every man in the vicinity just who she was with and then he moved off with Archie.

“Alright darlin’,” Toni smirked. “Let’s mingle and make sure you stay in Jughead’s line of sight because he’s already falling over himself and it’s fun to watch him fumble and try to hold it together. You look so fucking hot. Seduce that man until he quakes.” Betty let out a laugh and followed them to the champagne bar. 

“I don’t know if I feel right being such a distraction for him,” she admitted. “He’s supposed to concentrate.”

“This heist is child’s play and it’s too much fun watching him squirm,” Cheryl said, her eyes twinkling. “Ive been waiting too long for a woman to come along who can get Jughead out of his own head and open his heart and you’re finally here and it’s most enjoyable. I know you guys have been sleeping together in doing this thing for a while now but tonight, give him the night of his life girl,” she grinned. Betty let out a nervous breath and smiled shakily. 

“Well we’re certainly dressed for it,” she said softly. “I guess we can make this night as memorable as possible.”

“That’s the spirit,” Toni winked. “And remember, if you want to be heard through the coms, you have to click on the piece in your ear.” Betty nodded and they grabbed more drinks and turned to mingle in the crowd.

 

 

Jughead stood off to the side and gazed around and it wasn’t long before his eyes found their way back to Betty. God, she was stunning and he could already see the men noticing her and he was bristling. He could barely concentrate with her looking like that and he wanted to grab her and carry her to the first private corner he found, rip that dress right off and devour every inch of skin on her. 

“There she is,” Archie said, nudging him out of his fantasy. He looked to where he was motioning and saw Ava standing near a fountain and her eyes were locked on him. She was sipping champagne and smirking at him and he sighed and headed in her direction. “Wow, she looks good enough to have a second night with,” Archie all but groaned.

“Seriously?” Jughead muttered. “Can you concentrate on the job at hand?”

“Oh, like you were just doing with Betty?” his friend laughed. Jughead ignored him and focused on Ava, who did indeed look good in her tight mermaid dress, but she didn’t hold a candle to Betty and he’d argue that fact until the day he was dead.

“Well well,” Ave grinned when they walked up. “You showed up after all.”

“And I’m guessing you’re holding up your end of bargain?” Jughead asked.

“Sure,” she shrugged before turning to glare at Archie. “As long as he tells me what he was looking for the night he went through all my shit.” She laughed at his surprised look. “Did it really not occur to you that i would have cameras around?” she asked. “Now what were you looking for?”

“Nothing really,” Archie admitted. “I just don’t trust you and I decided to snoop.”

“Now, is that any way to treat a woman doing you a favor?” she snapped.

“How do you know Chic Cooper?” Jughead threw out before she screwed them over. Now it was her turn to be surprised and she looked at him in confusion.

“What?”

“Chic Cooper. He’s in your phone. How do you know him?”

“Why? What’s it to you?” she asked with a frown. Jughead grabbed her arm and pulled her off to the side and she pulled away.

“Can you not man handle me please,” she snapped angrily. “Why do you care if I know Chic Cooper? Do you know him?”

“He shot my sister.”

“Jesus, what?” Ava gasped, a hand on her throat. Jughead took a step toward her. “I swear to Christ, I know nothing about that. I haven’t spoken to Chic in probably 3 years, I swear.”

“How do you know him?” Archie asked.

“He had good pills,” she shrugged.

“Fucking drugs, Ava? Seriously?”

“Hey, how I choose to have a good time once in a while is none of your business. I’m not an addict, I just like to let loose once in a while.”

“And you haven’t spoken to him in three years?” Jughead asked.

“No, I haven’t. He disappeared for a while and I couldn’t get the good pills so I found someone else,” she explained.

“So why do you still have his number?”

“I keep the numbers of everyone I’ve associated with. You never know when you might need someone. So, I’m assuming you’re trying to find him? Is your sister dead?”

“No, she isn’t, but she barely survived.”

“I’m sorry, really,” Ava said softly. “And as for tonight, you’re all clear. I won’t expose you; you have my word. As for you,” she said, turning to Archie. “I’ll let the fact that you snooped go if you escort me home after the party.” Archie grinned and Jughead rolled his eyes. 

“Would you like another drink?” he asked. 

“Please,” she smirked. Archie walked off and Ava stood next to Jughead, scanning the room with him. “So, who’s the blonde you can’t seem to take your eyes off of?” she asked curiously. 

“None of your business,” Jughead replied, watching Betty as she chatted with Cheryl. Her eyes found his every once in a while and he couldn’t help but notice her glances at the woman next to him as well. And of course Ava noticed and sidled up to him, running her hand along his arm.

“She seems a little….concerned,” she said, her voice filled with laughter. “Does your new little friend know about me?” Jughead turned to look at her and wondered again what the hell he was ever thinking getting involved with her. 

“She has zero to be concerned about,” he insisted, pulling away from her. Ava studied his face and then let out a laugh.

“Oh my god, you’ve gone and broken your own rule,” she said in astonishment. “You’re in love with her.” Jughead said nothing and looked back at Betty and sent her a smile and to his surprise, she sent him a wink that he felt in his groin. “Well, she’s quite stunning. Wherever did you find her?”

“She was locked away in an ivory tower,” Jughead said with a smile. “I stole her.” Her confused laughter followed him as he walked away.

 

 

Betty was busy with Cheryl when she noticed the woman next to Jughead and her heart stopped for a second. It could only be Ava Ming and she was stunning. She felt intimidated for only a moment when she remembered how _she_ looked and how Jughead had been looking at her every few minutes. He couldn’t keep his eyes off of her, even now as he stood beside an exotic vision, he kept glancing over and locking eyes with her. He didn’t appear in any way affected by the woman next to him, in fact, Archie seemed to be the besotted one.

“Well, it seems Jughead found Ava,” Toni mentioned, noticing the pair across the room. 

“She’s really beautiful,” Betty noted quietly. 

“Yes, she is and Jughead really couldn’t care less because he can’t stop looking at you.” 

Betty watched for a while and Jughead was indeed constantly looked over at her and when he smiled and she winked in return, his gaze got so heated, she clenched her thighs together. Toni was right; Jughead had no interest in Ava Ming and when she noticed Betty and tried playing games and rubbing his arm, he simply pulled away and continued to look over to where she and Toni were standing. After a few minutes he walked away from the woman and whatever he’d said made her laugh, even if she did look confused. 

 

 

“I’m assuming you’re taking so long to get Ava a drink because you’re busy with the safe?” Jughead said quietly as he pressed the button on his coms. He signaled across to Cheryl and she went and told the girls to turn theirs on so they were all in communication. 

“Yeah, the coast was clear. Fangs cut all the camera feeds he found in the room and they hadn’t changed the safe or the code. Morons,” he muttered, and Jughead laughed. It never failed to amaze them how unprepared people were in regards to thieves. “It’s ready for whenever you make your way in here. I didn’t check out the contents so happy hunting.”

“You ladies online?” Jughead asked quietly.

“Why yes, Mr. James, we are,” Betty’s sultry voice sounded in his ear and he had to bite back a groan. He could hear Cheryl and Toni.

“Alright, bring me some champagne, Adison,” he sighed. “Please.” There was a pause and then a gasp.

“Oh that’s me,” Betty exclaimed and he couldn’t help but grin. “Where are you?”

“Come find me,” he teased.

“Seriously you guys?” Archie grumbled. “Try to remember we’re all listening.”

 

 

Betty found Jughead sitting against a ledge and slowly walked over, carrying the champagne and she felt a shiver go through her the way his eyes raked over her. Cheryl had picked the right dress; that was clear. She smiled softly and handed him the glass and he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her between his outstretched legs. He reached up and turned his com off and then hers before his hand settled on her hip and due to the ridiculously high cut of the dress, his fingers came in contact with her skin. 

“Seriously, why are you so naked?” he asked with a glare and she laughed, sipping her drink.

“I think maybe Cheryl wanted to annoy you,” Betty giggled with a twinkle in her eye. “And maybe I wanted to tease you a little. Also, I’m mostly covered,” she shrugged.

“Your dress is cut right to the hip and your chest is gloriously on display,” he sighed.

“And?”

“Well, maybe I don’t want anybody in here imagining your legs wrapped around them and their mouth on….”

“Alright,” Betty laughed. “Stop it. They can imagine all they want; I’m going home with you,” she said softly. “Besides, I managed to keep my cool when Ava Ming had her paws all over you.”

“Well, I prefer your paws, so that was no issue.”

“Well then, it doesn’t matter what these men are imagining, I prefer your imagination,” she fired back at him.

“I’m sorry babe, but if I see one guy with a look on his face like he’s imagining anything, I’m going to punch him in the face,” Jughead insisted. Betty wondered if the arousal she felt at his grumbling was normal and she stepped a little closer so her body was more flush against him.

“You know,” she breathed. “You being all possessive and jealous probably shouldn’t be so arousing but I find myself strangely turned on.” She felt his fingers tighten on her hip, his hand curling around the satin of her dress before settling full on her backside. It was a blatant display of _mine_ and it made her shiver with excitement. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to the top of her chest and Betty sucked in a breath and bit back a whimper. “The room is filled with people,” she whispered, her arm curling around his shoulder.

“I don’t know how I’m supposed to keep my hands off you in that dress,” he growled in frustration. Betty smiled and leaned down, her breath fanning over his ear.

“Try,” she murmured seductively, her lips brushing his skin. She pulled away and he frowned as she stepped back, turning her coms back on and turned to head back to the girls. She tossed him a wink over her shoulder, the sway of her hips drawing his eyes down her body.

“She’s going to kill me” Jughead groaned under his breath before downing his champagne in hopes that it would cool the heat in his body. At this rate he was going to fuck up stealing the rubies because she turned his brain all to shit. When he turned his communication back on he had Betty’s giggle in his ear.

“Well, look who’s back,” Cheryl laughed. “What we miss?”

“Mr. James wants to punch people,” Betty teased and Jughead rolled his eyes.

“Alright, alright,” he muttered. “Bett….Adison,” he caught himself. “Find the bathroom down the hall on the left. Wait outside the door. Cheryl and Toni, make sure the security at the exit is occupied, if that’s not too much trouble. Archie, the safe is open?”

“Yes, punch in code 33 and you’re in. I did the hard stuff,” he chuckled. 

“Ha ha,” Jughead muttered.

“Fangs, half an hour, make sure the limo is at the gate.”

“Got it boss.”

 

 

Betty found the washroom and waited nervously outside the door, smiling at people who wandered by. She twirled her rings nervously and took some breaths to calm down. 

“Well, aren’t you just a vision,” a man said as he strolled up to her. “I’m Charlie. What’s your name sweetheart?”

“Married,” she said with a smile, holding up her hand.

“I don’t mind,” the man grinned.

“Of course you don’t,” Betty sighed. “I’m waiting for my husband, now if you don’t mind.”

“Come on beautiful, let’s get to know…” His words were cut short as he was shoved into the wall when Jughead stepped between them. 

“She’s not interested, asshole,” he snapped.

“Easy, Jug,” Toni murmured. “Don’t draw attention.” Jughead let go of the man’s shirt and motioned with his head. 

“Disappear,” he ordered. The man held up his hands and backed off. “You alright?” he asked softly, turning back to Betty. She smiled and nodded and he took her hand and led her down the hall and turned left down another hall way. 

“This place is ridiculous. I’d get lost if I lived here,” she commented as she looked around. 

“Someone coming at you from the right, a few feet ahead,” Fangs said in their ear and Jughead paused and pressed Betty against the wall, taking her mouth in a thorough kiss. Betty was vaguely aware of someone walking by as her hands automatically slid into his hair and she melted into him. They momentarily forgot what they were doing and Jughead’s hand slid along her bare thigh and up her side, brushing against the side of her chest. His thumb found its way inside material and brushed over her nipple and she let out a moan, arching into his touch.

“Wrap it up guys,” Fangs said with a sigh and laughter registered in Betty’s ear and she realized that everyone could hear what they were doing. She pulled away quickly and Jughead muttered a curse and stepped back.

“Ummm, just a suggestion, if you guys end up fucking somewhere, please, for the love of god, turn off your coms,” Toni sighed.

“I don’t mind,” Archie said, the grin evident in his voice. 

“You’re such a pig,” Cheryl snapped and Jughead sighed and continued down the hall with Betty. Her face was burning and she was glad nobody could see them. He found the bedroom the safe was in and after getting the all clear from Fangs, they entered quickly and locked the door. He found the safe and entered the code Archie gave him and the door swung open. Betty peeked in and saw an array of jewelry and cash and other small items and Jughead pulled the small velvet bag of diamonds from his pocket and placed them in the safe. He pulled out the other bags from the back and opened them and sure enough, the rubies were back and he grinned as he poured a few into his hand.

“Wow, they’re pretty,” Betty breathed, touching one. “Are they worth a lot?”

“Not as much as the diamonds, but with the size these are, they’re going to fetch a good price,” Jughead explained. He put the stones back in the bag and made sure it was secured and put it in the pocket inside his suit jacket and zipped it. “Alright guys, product secure, going to head for the exit now. Make sure it’s clear.” He locked the safe back up and took Betty’s hand to leave the room and they made their way back down the hall. Once again, Fangs informed them of someone coming and this time, Betty turned off her device and did the same to Jughead before grabbing his face and kissing the breath right out of him.

Jughead groaned and pulled her into a darkened doorway. His hand this time travelled along her bare thigh and then found its way under the material and stroking across her back side. She pressed against him and could feel his body responding and couldn’t help but move against him and his hand gripped her, holding her still.

“This dress is going to be the death of me,” he muttered against her mouth, his tongue stroking her lip as his hand wandered over her. “Do you know how men were looking at you?”

“And you managed to not punch any?” she giggled, her hand brushing over his front and his forehead dropped to hers as his hips bucked into the touch.

“I can’t walk out of here hard as a rock,” he growled, even as he pressed against her hand. 

“Just close your jacket,” she whispered as she stroked him. 

“Fuck,” he groaned, grabbing her hand and pulling it away. “We have to get out of here and then you can be as bad as you want to be.”

“Promise?” she murmured with a smile. 

“Absolutely,” he said firmly, grabbing her hand and pulling her back into the hallway. He turned his coms back on and was immediately yelled at.

“What the fuck,” Cheryl snapped. “We were about to come looking for you!”

“Sorry, my fault,” Betty said with a smile.

“Figures,” Toni laughed. They rounded the corner leading to the main party area and came face to face with Ava Ming. Betty stopped short and Jughead pulled her close to his side.

“Well, well,” the woman said with a smile. “What have you two been doing?”

“We were just leaving Ava,” Jughead said quietly. Betty gripped his hand tighter and Ava noticed and smirked.

“Don’t worry, love, I won’t steal him from you,” she mused.

“I’m not worried about that in the slightest,” Betty said flippantly and saw the flash of angry fire in the woman’s eyes before it quickly vanished. She clearly didn’t like being the one without all the aces.

“And I suppose you’ve concluded your little shenanigans?” Ava said glancing back at Jughead and ignoring Betty.

“Yes, and if you don’t mind, we’d like to get out of here now,” he informed her. 

“And my payment?”

“Pea and Archie will be by next week to give you everything you need,” Jughead assured her.

“Don’t let Archie forget he’s my ride home later,” Ava said with a smile and stepped aside to let them pass. As they walked by, she couldn’t help one last parting shot. “Careful with him,” she said to Betty. “He gets bored easy.”

“Well, then I’ll have to make sure I’m not boring then,” Betty shrugged and walked away looking like a god damn queen and Jughead bit back his laugh as Ava glared after her.

“Later, Ming,” he offered as he followed Betty. Her annoyed huff made him grin.

“What a bitch,” Cheryl snapped in their ear pieces. “How can you even stomach being near her Archie,” she asked. “She’s lucky I didn’t find her and claw her eyes out tonight.”

“How about I get you your spider broach,” he asked with a laugh. “I saw it at her place last week and completely forgot to grab it.”

“Yes, please! And steal some of her shit.”

“Seriously, Cheryl?” Jughead sighed. “Didn’t you lecture me about not taking something that belongs to another woman?”

“I stopped caring,” she replied. 

“Of course you did,” he muttered. “Alright, make sure security is occupied, Betty and I are coming up on the exit now.” 

“Jug, pull back,” Fangs suddenly said and Jughead froze and guided Betty over to the fountain and they stood in an embrace, acting as though they were just a couple at the party.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“They just set up a check at the gate. Nobody’s leaving without getting searched. That includes vehicles and people.”

“Fuck,” Jughead muttered. “What do you think?”

“You need to lay low until this party clears out and find some different clothing so it looks like you’re part of the staff or something. You’re not getting out of here with those rubies tonight.”

“Shall we call it off?” Toni asked quietly, clearly not busy with security anymore.

“No, I’m not coming back to this fucking place,” Jughead growled. “You guys get out of here. Me and Betty will figure something out.”

“No fucking way,” Archie said quickly. “I’m staying because I have to leave with Ava anyway, maybe I can carry them out.”

“No, if you get caught, she gets caught. Toni and Cheryl, get back to the apartment. Fangs get them out of here. We’ll figure something out. Archie, find Ava.”

“You sure, Jug?” Cheryl asked nervously. 

“Go,” he ordered.

A moment later, the coms went dead as the operation was shut down and Jughead and Betty went in search of Archie. They found him with Ava near the champagne table. 

“Did you know about the search?” he asked.

“I had no idea. I don’t know what they were planning. My job was simply to see if I knew any thieves in the attendance.”

“I don’t suppose you could help us out by carrying the rubies out?”

“Not on your life,” she scoffed. “I’m not going down for this shit. When they find out they are missing, my ass is going to get fired and I’ll lose my pay already. I’m not about to risk jail.” 

“What do you know about this place? We’re going to need to hide out until everyone has left and then we’ll see if we can sneak out of here.”

“How?” Betty asked, finally speaking. 

“Is there a reason you didn’t send her off with the rest?” Ava asked.

“Because she stays with me, that’s why.”

“Alright, I’m going to head to the east wing and you guys follow me in 5 minutes. I know where you can lay low.” She walked off and Betty turned to Jughead.

“What on earth are we going to do?” she asked. “How will we get out?” 

“I’ll figure it out,” he assured her and when enough time had passed, he headed to the east wing and found Ava standing outside two giant oak doors. 

“There are no camera’s down this hall or through these doors. The wing isn’t being used and nobody comes here, from what I’ve noticed over the last couple of months during these parties. You should be safe in there until you figure out what to do. Are you sure you don’t want to just put the damn rubies back?” she asked with a frown.

“Yes, I do,” Jughead said with a smile and handed her the bag and she glared at him and tried to refuse. “Nobody knows they’re gone yet and Fangs has the cameras on a loop for the next 2 hours before they shut down and show proper feed. Put them back and nobody will know.”

“Then why didn’t you leave?” she asked. Betty looked at Jughead curiously, wondering what was going on in his head.

“Don’t worry about it,” he smiled and pushed open the door to the empty wing and Betty peered into the gloomy looking interior and suddenly wished she was in the limo with Cheryl and Toni. Jughead closed the door after them and she clutched his hand as he walked down the wide hallway, peering into rooms. He seemed to like the one on the end and ushered her inside before locking the door behind them. It was a bedroom, as most of them were, with an enormous bed.

“There’s no power,” he observed, trying the light switch. “There’s a lot of light from the front shining in the window, so at least we can see what’s happening.”

“I’m confused,” Betty admitted. “If you put the rubies back, why didn’t we just leave?” Jughead just smiled and pulled out his phone and sent a text to Fangs and told him to be back at 10:00am to pick them up.

“We’re leaving with those rubies,” Jughead informed her. “I just have to figure out how.”

“But you put them back.”

“Yes, so when they do checks after the party, nothing is missing and they won’t be concerned anymore in the morning when a few stranglers leave.”

“Are you sure?” Betty asked with a frown. “How will you get back in the safe.”

“Trust me, I’ll call Archie and he’ll walk me through it,” he said with a smile as he wandered over to the huge bed and pulled the dust cover off. “May as well get some sleep while we wait,” he suggested as he sat on the edge. 

“Or….we could pass the time another way,” Betty said softly, taking a few steps close to him. His lips twitched in a smile and he leaned back on his hands, regarding her curiously. 

“And what exactly did you have in mind?” he asked, his voice husky and soft. Betty reached her hands behind her neck and found the clasp that held her dress together and watched Jughead swallow as she unhooked it and let the satin glide down her body and pool at her feet.


	18. Hiding Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys :) I finally finished and I hope you like it. Quick thing though, I had said that this chapter was going to have JB's homecoming and party but it ended up running way long and so her welcome home party will be in the next chapter :) 
> 
> Hope you enjoy all the dirty fun in this chapter haha

Jughead seemed frozen, his eyes devouring her as she slowly walked over to him dressed only in heels, a lace thong and diamonds. Betty stood between his knees, her hands sliding over his shoulders as his hands settled on her waist.

“I recall you promising that I could be as bad as I wanted to be,” she said with a slow smile and he let out a breath, his fingers digging into her skin. 

“I did promise that, didn’t I?” he murmured, his eyes still roaming over every inch of her. They paused at her breasts, the coral tips tight from the slight chill in the unused room. He leaned in and she pressed on his shoulders to stop him and he glanced up at her curiously. 

“No touching,” she ordered and he raised an eyebrow, a glint appearing in his eyes, a smile playing on his lips.

“Oh, so it’s like that?” 

“Oh yes, it’s like that,” she informed him with a seductive smile. He moved his hands back to the bed as she moved closer, slowly straddling his lap and settled herself against him and he let out a groan as she wiggled to get comfortable.

“You really are trying to kill me,” he grumbled and she let out a sultry laugh. 

“But we’ve only just begun,” she whispered, trailing her mouth along his jaw and biting his earlobe. She smiled against his cheek, feeling how tense he was beneath her, his hands clutching the quilt on the bed. She supposed it wasn’t fair to get naked and sit on him, expecting him not to touch, but it was oh so much fun. Betty sat back and smiled at him, her hands coming up to frame his face.

“Betty,” his voice almost pleading as he lifted his mouth, silently begging for a kiss. She gave him what he wanted, settling her mouth over his eagerly, her body simmering from an entire evening of sensual looks he had been sending her way. He forgot the _no touching_ rule the instant she kissed him and his hands settled once again on her waist before sliding slowly up her side. When her tongue stroked against his, he groaned, his hands moving to cup her breasts. Betty pulled away and he glared at her when she grabbed his hands and pulled them from her. She pushed against his chest and he fell back on the bed and she crawled over him, grinning down at him as her hand loosened his tie and pulled it off, throwing it to the side. She braced on her hand and leaned down to kiss him again as her other hand started on the buttons of his shirt.

She loved his body. He was fit and strong and kept himself in shape and she wanted to touch and kiss him everywhere and her mouth moved from his and kissed down his neck to his chest, her tongue dragging along the warm skin. He squirmed under her mouth and she bit him lightly and smiled when his breath hitched. 

“Betty, I need to touch you,” he growled and she lifted up and smiled at him. 

“Why do you need to touch me?” she teased, lowering herself and rubbing against him and he groaned, lifting to her.

“Because you’re naked and grinding me and kissing me and it’s not fair,” he complained. She ground against him a little harder for added effect and let out a giggle when he muttered a curse and bucked against her.

“I’m not naked, I’m wearing heels and underwear.”

“First of all, those heels are sexy as fuck and don’t count and that _underwear_ is just a wisp of lace, so yes, you’re naked,” he insisted. “And the fact that you’re shimmering with diamonds is even sexier.”

“Well, then let’s get you naked too,” she winked, crawling back and standing up again. She grabbed his hand and pulled him up until he was standing in front of her, keeping still as she finished unbuttoning his shirt, her fingers teasing his skin as she went.

“Can I touch you?” he breathed. She bit her lip and shook her head as she pushed his shirt and jacket off his shoulders and he shrugged out of them. Holding his gaze, she leaned in and licked his chest, biting gently at his nipple as her hands found the button of his pants and she popped it free and pulled down his zipper. He let out a sound and she wasn’t sure it was from the sensation of the bite or that he was finally free from the tight confines behind the zipper and she shot him a seductive look as she kissed her way down his chest to his stomach, slowly sinking to her knees. “Fucking hell,” he breathed when she ran her hand over the front of his suit pants. 

Betty tugged on them and they fell to his feet and he kicked them away, as well as his shoes. She tugged on his socks and then ran her hands up his legs and she could feel him tense as she knelt straighter and smiled up at him, her fingers hooking into the waist band of his boxer briefs and tugging them down his legs. She stared at him, hard and thick, his cock crying for her attention. She touched the tip of her finger to the drop forming on the end of the velvety tip and brought it to her mouth to taste.

“You taste good,” she said softly and he groaned, his body shifting towards her. Jughead’s hand slid into her hair as she leaned in and ran her tongue from base to tip. She teased him, swirling her tongue around the tip, placing soft kisses up and down the length, wrapping her hand around it and stroking slowly, doing her best to drive him out of his mind.

“Fuck Betty,” he groaned, moving his hips, wanting more but she wouldn’t give it to him, grinning up while she nipped and licked at him and he glared at her, both his hands sliding into her hair. 

“Hands off,” she ordered and he dropped them immediately and let out a frustrated huff.

“Do I need to beg?” he asked with a groan. 

“I don’t know, does The Shadow Thief ever beg?” she teased, licking her tongue over the tip. 

“Betty…” his soft growl sounded very much like a warning and made her entire body ache, but he made no move to touch her. The need in his voice aroused her more than she’d thought was possible. She knew she had completely soaked the lace she wore and clenched her thighs together and he noticed.

“Let me touch you Betty,” he taunted, his finger tracing along her jaw.

“I think I want you to beg,” she whispered, holding his gaze, sucking on the tip before tapping it lightly against her lips. She had no idea why she was suddenly so seductive and brave except for maybe Jughead having told her she could be bad and the fact that he was literally trembling under her hands.

“Christ.…” Jughead groaned, his hand once again sliding into her hair. She licked at him again and he bucked against her. “Please,” he begged, sounding a little strangled and she grinned and slid her mouth over him until he was as deep as she could take him. “Oh fuck,” he gasped, his hand tightening in her hair as she pulled back and then pulled him in again. Her hand wrapped around the base, taking him deep each time and slowly pulling back. He looked down and watched as her tongue and lips wrap around him and he almost came then and there. “Betty,” he groaned when she applied more suction, his knees almost buckling. He felt his body start to tighten and he moved with her and then let out a disappointed growl when she suddenly pulled her mouth off and smiled seductively at him.

“Did you want to come?” she asked slowly moving her hand up and down, enjoying the feel of his smooth cock in her grip. She licked over him again while she waited and he shuddered.

“Yes,” he managed to choke out when she curled her tongue around the tip. She slid her mouth over him again and gripped his hips with her hands as she bobbed her head up and down a few more times before she pulled away and he cursed in disappointment.

“I don’t think I’m ready for you to come yet,” she said slyly, slowly standing to her feet. She pushed him back on the bed and he landed on his back, breathing heavy as she slid her ruined thong down her legs and kicked it aside with her heels and once again crawled on top of him trailing her tongue up his torso and settling herself over him. She slid her wet core along his length and he hissed out a breath and his hands gripped her hips and she grabbed them and held them over his head, lacing her fingers through his to keep them there.

“I swear to God, Betty, you’re going to pay for this,” he growled.

“Will I?” she taunted. Betty leaned down and kissed him again, slowly sliding back and forth on him. His tongue wrapped around hers, his kiss desperate and needy and his fingers clenched hers as they ached to touch her. She felt like her body was on fire and she wanted nothing more than to race toward orgasm but teasing him was more fun than she’d imagined. She sat back up, lifting slightly to adjust him and slid down on him just enough so his head was pressing into her and he lifted his hips to go deeper and she kept him at bay, rotating her hips. 

“Betty please,” he whimpered, his body trembling. “Just let me take the edge off a little.”

“The edge, huh?” she laughed softly, sinking down a little further. Jughead groaned as he glared at her.

“What the hell happened to my shy little virgin?” he gasped when she slid down another inch.

“ _Your_ shy little virgin?” she asked with a quirk of her eyebrow. 

“Yes,” he growled, his look daring her to disagree. She just bit her lip, smiling down at him as she slid down until he was buried deep inside her. She let her head fall back, moaning at the delicious feel of him stretching her. “Fuck, you’re tight….and wet. How are you so wet? I haven’t even touched you,” he groaned.

“Teasing you is very arousing,” she informed him, rocking back and forth. Jughead attempted to pull his hands free of hers and she tightened her hold and he bucked up into her hard enough that she bounced a little.

“If your goal is to have me blow my load, I’m not far off, Betty,” Jughead warned, his body covered in a sheen of sweat. She stared down at him, her own body humming with desire and arousal, relishing in the fact that she so easily could get him to completely lose control. She suddenly had a very naughty and delicious idea and eased off of him, much to his frustration and she moved down his body and took his cock, wet with her arousal, back in her mouth and he jerked in surprise. “Holy fuck!” he gasped. 

Betty’s hands were no longer holding on to his and he moved them down, sliding them into her hair and thrusting up into her mouth. She moaned around him, pulling back to gasp for air before sliding him deep again. She kept at it for a few moments and when he started to tense, she knew he was going to come soon and she pulled away with a smile and he shuddered and teetered right on the edge.

“Shit Betty,” he groaned, the frustration very evident in his voice. She moved back over him, hovering her dripping core over his aching and straining cock and his hands settled on her thighs and it was clear he was about done playing. “Let me taste you,” he suggested, suddenly discovering a new tactic. The jolt that went through her caused her to whimper, the thought of his mouth on her causing her arousal to flow more. “Come on baby, think about what it feels like to have my tongue buried inside you. I know you like it when I suck on your clit,” he smirked. “Let me taste you, lick you…”

“Fuck,” she moaned, the ache between her legs turning into a fire. The fiery glint in his eyes as his hands tightened on her thighs to pull her forward made her tremble. The vulnerable position she was in should have made her blush, hovering over his mouth, but when he eagerly moved to taste her, finally able to touch her, she forgot to care and the groan that escaped her was most unladylike as his tongue swept over her. Jughead didn’t mess around and he devoured her, doing exactly what he’d taunted her with, his tongue sliding into her, licking over her, sucking on her clit and despite how she had merciless teased him, not letting him come, causing her own arousal to spike, Betty suddenly and intensely fell apart. He groaned loudly when she flooded his mouth as she came, unable to help herself as she ground down on his tongue, sobbing out her pleasure.

“Fuck,” she gasped. “Fuck, fuck…” He latched on and sucked, his fingers sliding into her as her walls clamped down.

“Fuck you taste good,” he grunted, lapping hungrily at her. Betty shook over him, riding out her orgasm on his tongue until she managed to regain her senses and found him still feasting on her and she moved away and quickly turned, lowering herself once again to his mouth as she bent down and wrapped her lips around him.

“Make me come again,” she demanded, dragging her tongue up his cock and he laughed against her, his fingers sliding deep, dragging along her walls and she pressed into his mouth, gasping around him. 

“Do you think that’s fair?” he asked, easing back a little. “You’ve kept me on edge this entire time and you came almost instantly and now you’re demanding to come again?”

“Please, Jug,” she pleaded. She lifted her head and sat up, looking down at his mouth working her. “Make me come again and i’ll let you fuck me as hard as you want, as deep as you….ahhhh!” she cried out when he sucked hard on her clit and she fell forward, moving with his mouth. “Yes, yes, yes,” she whimpered, her hand gripping him tightly, licking the drops leaking out of him. She knew he was desperate to come as well and she wanted it inside her. “You can come inside me baby, just the way you like,” she gasped. Jughead growled and sucked harshly at her, his fingers fucking deep and she fell apart with a long cry and he suddenly moved, pulling his body back so she slid down and hovered over him and he held her still as he guided himself into her, thrusting deep as she clamped down and she fell back against his chest, this new position making her orgasm feel more intense than ever.

“Fuck, you feel so fucking good,” he groaned. She could only moan in response as his hand smoothed down her front, his hips thrusting as he buried himself over and over. She pulled herself up, lifting slightly and cried out as he fucked up into her.

“Oh my god,” she gasped, looking down and watching his cock disappear inside her and she shuddered, feeling raw and dirty and so turned on, she knew it wasn’t going to be long before she was coming again. She looked back at him and became desperate to be closer. To look into his eyes when he let go.

“Jug,” she cried suddenly. “I want to see you.” Jughead thrust a few more times before pulling out and moving them so she lay on the rumpled sheets, spread open and wet with arousal and he couldn’t help but lean down and lick over her again, just to taste before sliding himself deep again. Her hand settled on his side and he grabbed it, slamming it to the pillow next to her head and he moved his mouth to her neck, sucking on her sweat soaked skin and her head pressed back, her legs coming up and falling wide and he sank deeper. He held nothing back, fucking her into the mattress as hard as he wanted and she took it eagerly, lifting to every thrust hungrily. 

“Are you going to come for me again?” he asked, lifting his head and looking down at her. She nodded, gasping for breath, her hand moving to sliding into his hair. 

“Yes, Jug. Fuck me harder, I want you to come with me, I want to feel it,” she moaned. Jughead moved his head down and sucked a nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it before moving to the other one, sucking it deep as his hand snuck down between them. He couldn’t hold back anymore, feeling his body tense and tight. He bit gently, laving at her nipple with his tongue until she was sobbing and he could feel her body start to shake and he released her with a pop, staring for a moment at the hard, wet peak before licking it once more and then locking his gaze with hers. 

“Come baby, all over my cock, let me feel it,” he demanded and she yelled his name as she clenched hard on him, sucking him deep. He watched her face as she came and she was aware enough to see he was right on the edge with her.

“Come, Jug. Come inside me,” she demanded, the pulsing of her orgasm starting his own and he leaned up, a growl of pleasure escaping his mouth, pushing her legs back and looking down to where he disappeared inside her and then he came, long and hard and deep, his body pulsing and thrusting, spilling into her until she dripped with it and he fucked her through it, watching her body clutch at him, milking him until he was empty before he fell against her.

“Holy fuck, you and your dirty mouth,” he whispered hoarsely, gasping against the side of her neck. She could only whimper as they trembled together for a few minutes before he slowly eased back. 

“You were a virgin two months ago,” he gasped, collapsing next to her. “How the hell did you just manage to give me the best and dirtiest fuck of my life?”

“You told me I could be as bad as I wanted,” she reminded him with gasping breaths of her own.

“You really are a naughty little shit,” he groaned, his hand moving down and settling over his still hard cock.

“What are you doing?” she asked breathlessly, watching his movement.

“Checking to see if it’s still there,” he muttered and she started to giggle.

“We didn’t think this through,” she managed after a while. 

“Why do you say that?” Jughead asked, turning his head to look at her. 

“We’re covered in sweat and there’s cum leaking everywhere; how are we supposed to clean up?” she wondered. “Not to mention that we’re in someone else’s clean bed that we’ve now defiled.”

“Mmmmm,” he let out with a satisfied sigh. “I love defiling other people’s shit.” Betty let out a laugh and he rolled to his side, resting on his elbow and smiling down at her. He trailed his finger along the diamond chains around her neck that settled between her breasts.

“Interesting how they didn’t get in the way,” he commented, his finger moving to her breast and circling her nipple. 

“We were too busy to notice,” she explained with a smile, her hand coming up to wrap around his wrist, stopping his caress at her breast as he was causing her nipple to tighten and pinch a little. 

“Sorry,” he murmured, dipping down and gently gliding his tongue over it, soothing and warming it. He came back up and his eyes moved to her hand resting on her stomach, the large diamond sparkling on her finger. “Diamonds look good on you,” he commented softly, as he twirled the ring before moving to the strand around her wrist.

“Too bad they have to go back into the vault,” she sighed in mock irritation.

“Keep this,” he said softly, still tracing the bracelet.

“What?” she gasped, lifting her arm to look at the row of diamonds. “I can’t keep this. It must cost a fortune.”

“Not a complete fortune,” he winked with a smile.

“I can’t, Jug,” she insisted, shaking her head. “I have no business keeping this.”

“Well, if we’re going that route, I have no business owning it.”

“Is it stolen?” she asked, squinting at him.

“It was a trade,” he offered. “Please, I want you to have it.”

“What will the other Serpents say?” she asked with a wince. 

“Nothing. Why would they? They give their partners shit all the time,” Jughead shrugged. Betty went still, her heart suddenly beating out of her chest. She stared at him in surprise, a flush covering her face. She was his partner? She knew they were something, knew that neither of them had the guts to bring it up but he had just basically called her his partner and didn’t seem to even notice he’d said it. She was too afraid to say anything because his sister was coming home the following day and she knew it could literally change everything. “What are you thinking about?” he asked, leaning down to give her a soft kiss.

“I was….um…I was just wondering if you thought what we just did was boring?” she blurted.

“What? You can’t be serious?” he laughed. “I wasn’t kidding Betty; that was literally the best sex I think I’ve ever had. Well, actually, maybe not the best since I didn’t get to touch you and tease you, which really isn’t fair at all.”

“Next time,” she said softly, trailing her fingertips along his jaw. 

“Oh, believe me, I’ll be making sure that happens,” he smiled, leaning down and giving her a soft, lingering kiss. When he pulled back she took a moment to study him.

“Is it really that good with me?” she asked almost shyly.

“I mean it; it’s amazing with you,” Jughead insisted. “And I realize why you asked me that. I’m sorry Ava said the things she did. Honestly, that’s just how she is, always trying to one up everyone and she really isn’t all that pleasant after initially getting to know her.” 

“You trust her to keep our secret here?” Betty asked.

“Sure,” he shrugged. “This is about work and she agreed to help no matter what issues arose, so I know she will do everything she can to make sure we don’t get caught. Now, let’s see about cleaning up; I’m feeling a little sticky.” He got off the bed and pulled on his boxers and went to the door next to the entrance. It was a washroom. “No lights in here either,” he sighed, pulling his phone out and turning on the flashlight. He went to the sink and tried the tap. “We got plumbing but I don’t think there’s hot water.” Betty had wrapped a sheet around herself and joined him and she frowned. 

“Well, that sucks. Why isn’t there hot water?”

“This wing isn’t being used and while the plumbing will work, the heating tank would be on the same circuit breaker as the lights and such, so we’ll have to make due.” He shone his light around until he found some wash clothes and brought them over. “Chilly sponge bath?” He said with a smile. 

He wet the rag and wrung it out and tugged her sheet away and gently wiped down her skin. It was chilly but refreshing. She flushed when he moved the rag between her legs and even though the light wasn’t great, he could tell just by the way she ducked her head and he chuckled. 

“Figured I’d clean up the mess I made,” he teased. She smacked his arm and rolled her eyes. “What? You did tell me I could, if you recall.” Betty blushed even more as she remembered her words in the middle of sex. Her very dirty words about him coming inside her.

“You liked it,” she whispered.

“I sure as fuck did,” he growled, dropping the rag in the sink and hauling her up against him, taking her mouth in a thorough kiss. He pulled away after long minutes and she sagged against him, her hands fisted in his hair. She was ready to drag him back to the bed and he laughed softly at her state. Once she regained her senses, she grabbed the other rag and proceeded to wipe him down as well and when they were sufficiently cleaned and had taken turns using the bathroom privately, they went back to the bed and she stripped it while he hunted around the closet and armoires for sheets. He managed to find some and they changed the bedding and then climbed under the covers and snuggled together in the center.

“I had a really great time tonight,” she said softly, her head snuggled against his chest.

“Yeah?” he asked, the smile in his voice. “You were a really great partner.” There was that word again and Betty let out a little sigh.

“That heist you’re doing for the FBI,” she mentioned. “Does it have to do with my brother?”

“Yes,” Jughead answered honestly.

“Do you think I could join you on that one?” He was quiet for a while, as if mulling it over in his head.

“I don’t know,” he said slowly. “It will be quite more difficult and dangerous. The list we’re getting is full of dangerous people who don’t want to be found out and the security will be intense. We can’t allow any distractions or mistakes on this one. I don’t know if you’re quite ready for that.” 

“I understand,” Betty said slowly. Jughead pressed a kiss to her hair and she slowly fell asleep.

 

The alarm on Jughead’s phone rang at 3:00am and he grabbed it and clicked it off before it woke Betty. He got up and pulled on his clothes and was going to slip from the room when he realized if she woke up and he was gone, she might panic. Leaning over he kissed her forehead and gently shook her awake. Her eyes slowly opened and she looked at him confused.

“I’m just going to go check things and I didn’t want you to worry if you woke. I’ll be back as soon as possible.”

“Where are you going?” she asked worriedly. 

“Just checking security and to see if the party has cleared out.”

“Be careful and please hurry back,” she whispered, shivering a little at the thought of being alone in this strange house in the dark.

“I promise,” he whispered back. He gave her a soft kiss and slipped from the room. He headed down the hall and back into the main part of the mansion, taking note of where he’d spotted all the cameras earlier and took care to avoid them. The party was over and everything was quiet and dark as he slipped through the house. He knew where the security monitors were and headed there, pulling open the door to the closet that housed them. A quick glance over showed him that that couple was sleeping, as were a few guests in different guest rooms. He let out a snort at the guests probably having no idea there was a camera in their room. These people probably got off watching couples being filmed unknowingly.

Jughead pulled on a pair of gloves he had in his coat pocket and rewound the tapes to the party and went to the time of his and the teams arrival and erased the recording of the main party room, not wanting their faces on the footage that would be perused as soon as they realized the rubies were missing. Fangs had knocked out the cameras everywhere else while they’d been there and put on a loop run so he didn’t have to do anything to those. He checked and found Ava had been right, there were no cameras in the wing he and Betty were hiding out in. He saw there was a camera in the master suite and he turned off the recording and closed the door and pulled out his phone again and sent Archie a text.

**You up?**

_Yeah man, just about to head home. You ready for the pull?_

**Yes, heading there now.** He made his way down the corridors, staying out of the camera’s paths as Archie typed. He waited outside the master suite until he got the text.

_Okay, well the safe should still be open and all you’d need is the code I gave you earlier. I drilled a tiny hole through the locking mechanism and even if they think they locked it and punched in their main code, it would open without them being the wiser that it was tampered with. It would click shut for them but it isn’t locked. Just use the same code and you should be in._

**Ok, heading in. I’ll let you know when I’m clear.** Jughead took care to open the door silently and left his shoes outside the door and staying close to the wall and in the shadows, made his way to the safe. The couple on the bed, mostly likely in deep sleep from all the drinking and partying, didn’t so much as twitch. He quietly moved the frame the safe was behind and saw the red light was on and prayed that Archie wasn’t mistaken. He punched in the code and when he heard the quiet click, glanced at the bed and saw no movement before he swung the door open. He chanced using his phone light, putting it inside the safe before turning it on so it wouldn’t cast light in the rest of the room and checked the bags and was thankful when he found them. Ava had successfully snuck them back before the checks had been done. He tucked them into the inner pocket of his jacket and carefully closed the safe until he heard the click. The red light came back on and he stole his way back out of the room. 

Jughead stopped at the security closet and turned the camera for the suite back on before sneaking his way over to the front of the house and checked the door and saw they were secure and alarmed. He pulled his phone again and text Fangs.

**You around?**

_Yup, parked down the road a bit. What do you need boss?_

**The alarm code for the front door. Shut it down.** Jughead stepped back and waited and only a couple of minutes later, the light turned green and he slipped out the front door as he got another text from Fangs.

_Ok, the outside security is on a different system and I can only shut down motion detectors close to the house. And the gates are a completely different security and needs hands on. I won’t be able to open them for you._

**No worries, I just needed to get outside.** Jughead replied as he walked to the edge of the stone porch. **Thanks Fangs, be here tomorrow at the time I told you. Hopefully the owners are awake and the gate is open. Give me a minute to get back inside and turn on the system again.**

 _Got it boss._

Jughead headed back inside and made his way back to the room Betty was in. He slipped inside and locked the door and made his way to the bed, quickly undressing to his boxers and sliding into bed. Betty immediately rolled into him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself against him. She trembled a little and he hugged her close.

“You okay?” he asked softly, rubbing her back. 

“I was worried and a little scared,” she admitted.

“I’m sorry baby, I went as fast as I could,” he murmured softly. 

“You stole the rubies again, didn’t you?” 

“I did.”

“And we’ll make it out with them?” Betty asked.

“Yes,” he assured her. 

“How?”

“It’ll be a bit of acting and improvising tomorrow but just follow my lead and we should be alright,” he said softly. She trusted and tried not to worry and now that he was near her again, fell asleep once more.

 

Betty woke hours later to Jughead’s mouth pressing soft kisses to her cheek. She slowly opened her eyes and squinted at him in the sunlight that now flooded the room. 

“Good morning,” he murmured softly, smiling against her skin.

“Hi,” she whispered, stretching and curling into him. He brushed his lips against hers, smiling down into her eyes and she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him close. “Is it time to go?” she asked.

“Not just yet,” he smiled, brushing her mouth again. Betty lifted slightly and kissed him properly and sighed into his mouth at his slow, lazy kiss. It didn’t take long and he was nestled between her legs, his tongue stroking hers. His mouth was warm and soft and she whimpered when she felt him press against her, his body starting to respond.

“Didn’t get enough last night?” she teased when she pulled away.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever get enough of you,” he admitted between kisses as he trailed them along her neck. Betty went still and he lifted his head and looked down at her. “Now before you say anything,” he sighed. “I’m well aware that statement goes against everything Cheryl told you about me. Jughead Jones doesn’t keep women around, blah blah blah….” Betty bit her lip to hold back her laughter. “Are you laughing at me?”

“Never!” she insisted before bursting in a flurry of giggles. He dove in and attacked her neck with kisses and bites while his hand tickled along her ribs and soon she was laughing out loud, trying to get away from him. “Does Cheryl know you like to tease and tickle?” Betty teased when she managed to catch her breath.

“God, don’t tell her,” Jughead rolled his eyes. “I’ll never hear the end of it.” 

“Your secret is safe with me,” she smiled and he leaned down and gave her a lusty kiss. When he pulled away, Betty sat up and looked towards the window and saw that the day seemed in full swing. “What time is it?”

“It’s 9:30. I snuck a peek earlier and it seems people are up and about and Fangs is going to pick us up soon, so we should probably get dressed.”

“Dressed? Oh God, my hair is a mess, my makeup is probably all smeared….”

“It’s fine and the fact that your hair is all out of place is a good thing. Same with mine,” Jughead said as he stood and reached for his clothes.

“What do you mean?” Betty asked.

“Well, we’re going to pretend we snuck off to find a room after a few drinks and accidently fell asleep.”

“So we’re supposed to look like we had wild sex half the night?” she asked with a laugh.

“Exactly,” he winked. Betty got off the bed and grabbed her clothes, or rather her scrap of lace and her dress and pulled them on and went into the bathroom. There was enough light now to see herself in the mirror and grimaced. Good lord, she needed her cleanser and a good hair brush. She walked back into the room and sighed.

“Well, I look exactly like we’ve been in bed all night, so I’m good to go.” Jughead stood for a moment, his eyes raking over her and the look on his face made it seem like he was seeing the ensemble for the first time.

“God, that dress,” he groaned. “You have to wear it more often,” he insisted. 

“What on earth would I wear this for again?” she asked with a laugh.

“I don’t care; wear it around the apartment. As long as I get to take if off you next time.”

“Well, when we get back there, you have my permission to take it off again,” She winked and he smiled.

“Deal. Now, let’s get out of this place and hope it goes well.” Betty waited while he handled the room before following him to the door. She didn’t know how they were going to manage without rousing suspicion and didn’t know where on his suit he had hidden the rubies but she prayed they didn’t get searched. Before they left the deserted wing, Jughead pulled her to a stop. “Act casual and like you’re happy and still having a good time. Any nervousness and they will know something is up, okay?”

“Got it,” she whispered, not wanting to alert anybody before was necessary. He gave her hand a squeeze and pushed open the door and they walked casually toward the main part of the mansion. Jughead slung his arm around her shoulder and gave her a squeeze and she smiled up at him, feeling more secure with him anchored to her. As they passed through the main party area, they heard voices and he quickly leaned down as they walked and kissed her mouth. 

“Who the hell are you?” came a surprised and irritated voice and Betty pulled away quickly and managed to keep a smile on her face.

“Oh, hey,” Jughead said casually. “We were just on our way out. Our driver is going to pick us up.”

“Just on your way out?” the man asked, confused. “Do I know you?”

“Ummm, Logan and Adison James? We were at the party last night?” Jughead explained. The man looked at Betty and she smiled brightly at him. 

“I’m sorry,” she said with a giggle. “This is all my fault. I had a few too many drinks and I demanded he take me somewhere…you know….private….anyway, we ended up in that wing there with no working lights but I didn’t care, made it more romantic,” she added with a grin.

“Needless to say, we fell asleep,” Jughead shrugged, acting like that was supposed to explain everything. The man pulled out his phone and called his security and they showed up a few minutes later.

“Do you remember these two from last night?” he asked.

“Yeah,” one of the guards said. “Ming didn’t flag them and they were around for a few hours. What’s the problem?” 

“The problem is that they decided to borrow one of our empty rooms to have a little fun in and fell asleep, or so they claim. Paul, you go check the room they were in and Ben, you search them.”

“Which room were you in?”

“The last one in the empty wing.” The man hurried off and Jughead turned back to glare at the other man. “You’re not searching her,” he snapped, pulling Betty close to him. She gave his arm a squeeze and stepped forward. 

“Is that really necessary?” she asked with a sly grin. “As you can see, there is literally nowhere I could hide anything in this dress.” The way the men looked her over had Jughead seething and Betty took his hand and gave it a soft squeeze. She looked at him and smiled and he reluctantly refrained from punching all of them. “Look guys, we just had ourselves some rowdy fun and accidently fell asleep. No harm, no foul, right?” she said sweetly, praying that they didn’t still want to search Jughead. She tried not to panic when they stepped up to him to do just that. He stood smiling as he was patted down and to Betty’s surprise, they found nothing and she looked at him in confusion. He just smiled and the security stepped back.

“He’s clean boss.” 

The other man came back with a wry grin on his face. “They were in the room and it’s definitely….used….” he chuckled. 

“Alright, get the hell out of here and next time, leave with the other fucking guests,” the other man snapped. “Ben, make sure they get to the gate.”

“Sure thing,” Jughead smiled and walked to the front door. The security guard led them outside and at the edge of the porch, Jughead stumbled and fell against the planter standing there and Betty grabbed his arm. “Still drunk I think,” he joked as he straightened up. The man rolled his eyes and led them to the gate and waited until they were through before turning back to the house. A few minutes later, Fangs pulled up with the limo and they climbed in the back and she finally felt like she could breathe as they pulled away. 

“Fangs, you look like shit. What you do, sleep in here all night?” Jughead joked and Fangs shot him a look.

“Oh ha ha,” he muttered, stifling a yawn. “I need a long shower and sleep the rest of the day.”

“Yeah, let’s get home. Jellybean is coming home tonight,” Jughead said with an easy smile. Betty had forgotten all about that for the night and now she felt her anxiety come back and rubbed her hands on her thighs so she couldn’t clench them. Jughead leaned back in the seat and reached into his coat sleeve and pulled out a small velvet bag and handed it to Betty with a smile. She gaped in surprise and opened it, seeing the rubies glitter at the bottom.

“I don’t understand,” she said in confusion. “They searched you. How did they not find them?”

“I didn’t have them on me,” Jughead said with a grin. “Last night I got Fangs to kill the alarm so I could get outside and I stashed them in the planter. When I stumbled against it as we were leaving, I grabbed them and slipped it up my sleeve.”

“You left a bunch of expensive rubies outside over night?” Betty asked in astonishment.

“Well, just for a few hours. I knew they’d be fine,” he explained. “I figured we’d probably get searched and decided to play it safe.”

“Wow, you’re really good at this game,” she observed, handing him back the bag.

“Been doing it long enough,” Fangs laughed from the driver’s seat. “Cheryl cleared out the safehouse and brought everything back home. Where do you want me to drop you?”

“You know what? Today just bring us home. I don’t want Betty to have to walk the tunnel in that dress.”

“It’s fine Jug, do it the way you always do it.”

“Betty…”

“I’ll be fine,” she insisted firmly. 

“Alright, take us the usual way,” Jughead sighed to Fangs. 

It took almost an hour to get back to the building and once they had the limo cleared and secured, they slipped into the tunnel and started the walk to their own garage. Betty didn’t say much, concentrating instead on not stumbling or stepping on anything weird. Jughead held her hand the entire way as he and Fangs went over the evening and making sure they hadn’t left any loose ends for anyone to find. The guards may have recognized them but Jughead had erased the tapes and there would be no evidence they were there. The room they stayed in he wiped down for prints and had left the bedding they had originally played in in the tub filled with water. Betty guessed the guard hadn’t bothered looking in the bathroom.

She was glad when they finally got back to the building because her feet were killing her and she wished now she had let Jughead insist they just drive to the building but not breaking their regular routine had been the right thing to do. Jughead had to go do whatever it was they did after a heist and Betty just couldn’t wait to get herself cleaned up. He gave her a soft kiss at the elevator and she headed up to the apartment. First she knocked on Cheryl’s door to let her know they were back.

“Well, don’t you look like you had a wild night,” the red head smirked when she opened the door. 

“Ha ha,” Betty said with an eye roll. “I just wanted to let you know we got back alright.”

“Yeah, I’m aware. Fangs let me know he picked you guys up.”

“Yeah,” Betty sighed. “I guess he would do that. Don’t mind me, I’m over tired and I need a good soak in the tub.” 

“You get any sleep?” Cheryl smirked.

“Yes, we got sleep,” Betty said with a flush.

“So did you enjoy the whole experience?”

“I really did and I asked if I could come along on the FBI heist, but he’s not sure, so we’ll see on that, I guess,” Betty sighed.

“Well, it will be exceedingly more difficult and dangerous so I can understand he has reservations,” Cheryl explained.

“Yeah, you’re right. Well, anyway, I’m going to go get cleaned up. Where do I leave the dress?” 

“Keep it,” her friend smiled. “Nobody looks as good in it as you.” 

“Getting ready for the party tonight?” Betty asked as she noted some gifts on the kitchen table in Cheryl’s apartment. 

“Yeah, it will be good having her home.” 

Betty smiled her agreement and headed into Jughead’s apartment. She headed straight to their room and let the dress drop on the floor and ran a bubble bath while she washed her make up off and carefully put the diamond jewelry in the box sitting on the sink. Jughead kept his watches in it and she put the diamond ring and necklace next to his rolex and after fingering the bracelet he told her she could keep, she let out a sigh and placed that in as well. When the bath was ready she sank into the bubbles with a satisfied moan and leaned back and closed her eyes. She doesn’t know how long she was soaking before a soft husky voice broke the silence.

“Want some company?” Betty smiled and opened her eyes and looked at Jughead leaning casually against the door frame, hands in his pockets. His easy relaxed smile and warm gaze made her feel fuzzy all over.

“Did you want to join me?” she teased. She was surprised when he pulled away from the door and immediately started taking his clothes off. 

“Absolutely,” he grinned as he finished. “Let me get behind you.” Betty scooted forward and he got in and settled into the bubbles and pulled her back against his chest, stretching his legs out on either side of her. “God this feels good,” he sighed. She relaxed against him and had to whole heartedly agree. “Also, didn’t you promise that I could get you out of that dress?” he asked, his hand brushing up her arms as he placed a gentle kiss on her shoulder.

“Sorry, I didn’t know how long you’d be and I was dying for a bath,” she murmured, closing her eyes and resting her head against his shoulder. “What do you have planned for the afternoon before the party?”

“A nap,” he sighed. “I only got a couple hours last night and normally that wouldn’t bother me but this sexy blonde in a killer dress decided to fuck me into oblivion and I stayed awake half the night thinking about it and the other half I had work to do.”

“Stop it,” she whispered, feeling flustered and flushed. His hands smoothed over her stomach and came up to cup her breasts and she let out a needy sigh. “Jug,” she whimpered. 

“I’m sorry, I can’t help it. Last night was mind blowingly amazing but I want to touch you and tease and make you fall apart slowly and repeatedly” he growled against her neck. She took his hand and moved it down her front and put it between her legs.

“How about you give me a preview,” she suggested heatedly. Jughead ran his tongue along her shoulder blade and let his fingers slide into her folds and she moaned.

“Mmmmm, so wet already. Is this what I do to you, Betty?” he murmured against her ear.

“Yes,” she breathed, moving with his hand. The only sounds after that were her moans as he quickly and skillfully made her fall apart.

 

That evening, after spending the entire afternoon napping, more Jughead than Betty as she lay awake and tried not being anxious about Jellybean coming home, she helped him get dressed for the party.

“I really wish you would go with me,” he said softly as she buttoned up his shirt for him. “Everybody is going to be there and I don’t like you sitting up here all alone.”

“I’m a big girl, Jughead, I’ll be fine,” she said with a small smile as she finished with the buttons. His hands came up and framed her face and forced her to look at him.

“I want you with me and I want you to meet my sister. This is a celebration and I want you to be a part of it,” he sighed. “I want you beside me.”

“Not tonight,” she said regretfully. “Tonight is about Jellybean and I refuse to upset her in any way and if that means staying away, then that’s what I’m going to do. She deserves to have a wonderful night with no reminders of my brother right in her face.”

“Betty…”

“Please, Jughead,” Betty sighed. “I’m going to be fine and you need to not worry about this. I’m going to grab a book and head up to the terrace and read all evening with some wine. It will be nice and relaxing for me.”

“Fine, but I’m not happy about this,” Jughead grumbled as he pulled on his shoes. When he finished he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, giving her a tight hug. “You sure you’ll be alright? You can come for like the first hour. I think Pea said they were going to show up around 7:00.”

“I’m good,” Betty smiled. “Tonight is about your family, Jughead and I want you to enjoy it.”

“Betty, you’re part of us already…”

“Okay, stop,” she insisted. “I’m not going and you need to just stop trying to convince me. Go, enjoy yourself and rejoice that your sister is home and safe. I’ll be fine.” Jughead kissed her firmly. His hand sliding into her hair and holding her steady as he thoroughly and hungrily kissed her. She held his face and kissed him back just as eagerly, wishing with everything in her that they could just spend the evening snuggling in bed but it was back to reality now and tonight, she didn’t belong with him.

“I’ll see you later,” he said softly when he pulled away. She smiled and nodded and let him kiss her one last time. “I’ll try to not stay long and…”

“Jesus,” she sighed. “Will you just go? And if you leave early I’m going to kick your ass,” she threatened. He grinned and headed to the door. 

“Promise?” 

“Get outta here,” she laughed, shooing him off. He winked at her and left and Betty let out a long slow breath, the smile she’d plastered on slowly fading and she clasped her hands together to ward off the itch to go back to old habits as her stomach began to roll with anxiety.


	19. Stuck in the Middle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Mentions of abuse, strangulation, character death
> 
> As usual, I can't seem to like my work in this chapter, but it reads alright and I hope you enjoy the update :) Please see notes at the end.

Chic Cooper was a very patient man. 

Until, that is, all the imbeciles that worked for him couldn’t seem to find a man whose fucking name he had. 

Why could nobody find Jughead Jones?

They were all trying his patience and he was about done with the excuses. Even Penny was starting to get on his nerves with her constant chatter and suggestions. The previous day, she had dared to tell him to give up his search and concentrate on the women he did have, not the one he’d lost. It had earned her a back hand that sent her into the wall. Of course, it had only turned the dumb bitch on. She had laughed and lunged at him and before he’d known it, they were fucking their frustrations out on each other right there on the floor. Now she was blathering on about the fucking benefit that he didn’t even want to go to.

“I’m going to need a dress,” she insisted.

“Honestly Penny, I’m probably not even going to go and if I do, why the fuck would I take you? This place will be full of classy people and there isn’t any room for trash.”

“Fuck you,” she hissed. “You like this trash every time you want to get your dick wet.”

“Oh please, any pussy or ass will do,” he laughed. 

“And yet you keep using mine,” she smirked, flipping her stringy blonde hair out of her eyes. He suddenly found her nauseating and wondering why exactly he kept using hers.

“Yeah well, it’s here, so why not?” he said flippantly, getting up and pouring himself another whiskey. He was well on his way to being drunk and lately, it was the only way he found her even slightly appealing. He was a good looking man, why was he with a low life like her? At first she was fun, with her mind as sick and twisted as his, but now she was just starting to wear on him and he just wished she’d go away, before he got rid of her himself.

“Why are you so hell bent on finding this Jones anyway?” she asked, moving away from the subject of her well used areas.

“Because he stole from me!” Chic roared furiously, throwing his glass at her. She ducked and watched it shatter on the wall.

“She was leaving the next day anyway!” Penny snapped back angrily. “Who fucking cares? Give the money back and it’s over with. It’s not like she would have survived a night with that sadistic fuck you sold her to. She was already half dead.”

“Because you took your game too far!” he yelled, stalking over to her. 

“My game?” Penny laughed. “A game you gleefully agreed to because you thought it would break her. But she never did, did she?” Chic clenched his hand at her taunting. “You thought she’d be begging and obeying like a good girl and instead she defied you every chance she got, even on the verge of dying of starvation, she still defied you. You’re so pathetic, can’t even control your own sister.” 

He felt something inside him snap and then he was slamming her against the wall, his hand curled around her neck. She smiled mockingly at him, her hands smoothing over his chest, trying to open his shirt, thinking once again that her game of taunting him into abuse would end in a good fuck but all he saw was a red haze and he squeezed harder. She didn’t catch on very quickly, enjoying the breathlessness as she fumbled with his clothing and he laughed at her sad attempt to get in his pants.

“Chic,” she suddenly gasped, her hands moving from his pants to his arm, trying to pull him off as she realized that this was not like any other time. 

 

 

Jughead sat on the couch in the lounge, forearms resting on his knees, a beer dangling from his fingers. He was supposed to be happy, elated even, and on some level he was, but he couldn’t stop thinking about Betty spending the evening alone while they all celebrated. He knew that she was doing what she thought was best and he understood but something told him that she wasn’t as fine as she pretended to be. He had seen it in her eyes. The sadness behind the smile.

“You alright?” Archie asked, sitting down beside him. 

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” 

“Right….”

“I wish Betty was here,” Jughead admitted, taking a swallow of beer.

“We all do, Jug,” Archie said softly. “But maybe she’s right. This is a big deal and we don’t want Jellybean to feel anxious her first day back.”

“I get that, Archie, I really do…I just….”

“You just love Betty and you want her attached to your hip?” he chuckled.

“Shut up,” Jughead sighed. “I’m just worried about her and I don’t think she’s okay.”

“Well, get some time with JB and go see to Betty as soon as you can.” Jughead nodded and saw Pop headed in his direction and he got up and offered the man his seat. 

“Sit down boy, I’ll take the chair,” the old man smiled, motioning the Serpent beside it to bring it over. He sat and let out a long breath. “I’ve been feeling good lately and I think whatever’s been ailing me the last few months is easing.”

“That’s good Pop,” Jughead smiled.

“Where’s Betty?”

“She ah….she didn’t think she should be here.”

“Why?”

“She didn’t want to upset JB,” Jughead explained.

“JB is going to have to get used to her,” Pop insisted. “She shouldn’t be left out tonight. That girl’s become like family around here.”

“I know but she insisted. I tried changing her mind.”

“You got yourself a stubborn lady there,” Pop chuckled. Jughead just smiled and nodded. “Well well, look who it is,” his grandfather added with a smile. A cheer went up as Jellybean and Sweet Pea walked into the lounge. They were surrounded immediately and Jughead felt immense relief sweep through him. She was home. She was safe. He walked over and picked her up in a hug, taking care not to squeeze too tight and she held on to him and cried against his neck.

“Welcome home, sis,” he said happily, holding her close.

“Alright, alright, let an old man see his granddaughter,” Pop interrupted and JB pulled back and practically threw herself at the old man. He was the only one who hadn’t been to the hospital to see her because it was too much for him because of his health and his heart. Jughead stepped back and let his sister cry all over Pop. 

“Does your old man get a hug?” FP spoke behind Jughead, pushing his way past him. Of course Jellybean had a hug for him as well and after a few more, they made their way over to the sofas and sat down, his sister in a comfortable chair. “It’s so good to have you home sweetheart,” FP said again. “We have food, drinks and gifts for you and don’t worry, Chic’s sister isn’t here.” 

“Seriously?” Jughead fumed, shooting his father a glare. Jellybean looked around in surprise.

“She isn’t?”

“No, she’s not. She didn’t want to upset you,” Jughead explained. 

“Well, I did tell her that it was probably best for her to….” FP began.

“That’s enough!” Jughead snapped.

“Well, thank you for thinking of me, daddy,” Jellybean said with a smile. Jughead let out a laugh and took a swig of his beer. He kept his face calm but he was seething inside. He understood his sister to a certain extent but if she was going to keep this up like it was all Betty’s fault without giving her a chance, he didn’t know how much of that he could put up with. And his father; there was no reason for him to act like an asshole except for the sake of being an asshole.

“Let it go for now,” Pop said softly beside him and Jughead shot him a smile.

“Want anything to drink?”

“A bourbon would be nice,” he smiled. Jughead got up and walked over to the bar and signaled Toni for a drink. He motioned to the bourbon and she studied him as she poured him a glass.

“You doing alright?” she asked softly. 

“Yeah, it’s really good to have her home.”

“She looks good. Spent long enough in the hospital.”

“She has to take it easy for a while yet but she’ll make a full recovery.” Jughead pulled out his smokes and lit one, taking a long drag as he watched his sister laugh with FP and Sweet Pea.

“Betty didn’t want to come?”

“I tried convincing her but she wouldn’t hear it. She said she’d read and drink wine on the roof all evening,” Jughead sighed. “I just feel bad. I don’t like her being alone. She’s been alone enough in the last few years.”

“Do you want me to go and keep her company?” Toni asked.

“Nah, she’d only get pissed off. She basically yelled at me to get my ass over here as I tried to convince her to come.”

“Keeps you on your toes, does she?” Toni laughed.

“You have no idea,” Jughead smirked.

“And you’re totally loving it,” Cheryl said happily as she sidled up to him, having overheard the last part of the conversation.

“Yes, I do,” he admitted and Cheryl stared at him in surprise.

“Are you admitting things now?” she asked in delight.

“Well, depends on the question,” he laughed.

“Archie told me you admitted you were in love with Betty; is that true?” Toni asked.

“No idea what you’re talking about,” Jughead shrugged and smiled before heading back to the couch.

“I knew it!” he heard Cheryl exclaim. He sat back down and handed Pop his drink.

“So, how are you feeling, Jelly? You breathing alright?”

“Yes,” she smiled, her hand resting over her chest. “Coughing hurts a little but for the most part, I’m doing very well. I have a weekly appointment back at the hospital for a while but I’m almost completely healed.”

“You were very lucky,” FP muttered, taking her hand. “We almost lost you and we won’t rest until the bastard who did this will pay for it.” Jughead refrained from rolling his eyes. FP hadn’t done shit to help with anything except fight against every step. He decided it wasn’t the time to point out his hypocrisy and just let him earn his daughter’s good faith back. Everybody knew that before the incident he hadn’t spoken to her in weeks as she actively avoided him. He guessed almost dying had a way of bringing family back together.

“Pop, how are you doing? I’ve missed you so much and was always thinking about you,” Jelly said, reaching over to squeeze his hand.

“Oh, I doubt that. I think you were thinking about this strapping young man right here,” Pop said with a laugh and a nod in Sweet Pea’s direction. 

“Well, yes,” she laughed with him. “But I missed you and your birds. 

“Well, me and my birds have been doing just fine. I missed our movie nights and we’ll have to start those again as soon as possible.”

“Absolutely,” she agreed happily. Jughead smiled as he watched them. Jellybean was his grandfather’s pride and joy and he knew how much the old man had missed her and how hard it had been on him to not go see her. He wondered if that’s why he had taken to Betty so quickly; she reminded him of his own grand daughter. He sat back and sipped his beer and wished she was beside him and that things were different.

 

Betty sat at the island, her elbows on the granite, her chin in her hands. She stared at the bird cage Pop had given her and watched Bell hop around. It was strange. The little bird really did seem happier alone. He had said that Belle had reminded him of her. She wasn’t sure now; was it because he saw her as someone who was destined to be on her own? Or just because she had been caged like Belle for so long.

It had been 2 hours since Jughead had left and she missed him, which was odd because he was sometimes gone for the entire day and barely saw him and while she would miss him, it wasn’t this deep painful loneliness for him that seemed to envelope her at the moment. A knock at the door confused her and she wondered if Jughead had left the party to check on her. Although if he did, he wouldn’t knock, she supposed. She got up and went to open it, finding one of the Serpent wives that she knew as Cindy.

“Hi Miss Betty,” the woman said with a smile. “Jughead asked me to bring you this so you’d have something to eat for dinner.” She held out a covered container and Betty took it with a smile of her own.

“Thank you Cindy. He didn’t have to do that, I could have made something here.”

“Well, he didn’t want you missing out on the party food that everyone is enjoying. You’re doing alright?”

“I’m fine and tell him to stop worrying.”

“Will do,” the woman laughed and turned to leave. Betty closed the door and carried the container to the island and opened it. There was an array of cheese, crackers, pickles and olives, slices of roast beef and a lobster salad. There was also different breads and spreads and pastries. It looked amazing and she was suddenly famished. There was a folded piece of paper on top of the crackers and she grabbed it and opened it.

_Wish you were here. I miss you. J._

Betty drew in a shaky breath and held it to her chest as she smiled. “Marshmallow,” she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. She covered the food again and went to the wine cooler and grabbed a bottle and set it on the counter. She found a reusable shopping bag in the pantry and put the container of food and the bottle of wine in it, as well as the book she had been reading, then grabbed a wine glass and headed up to the terrace with her own little party.

It was a beautiful evening and she put her things down and poured herself a glass of wine and walked over to the railing and leaned against it, looking out over the park. The breeze moved her hair gently around her and she sipped her drink, closing her eyes and breathing in the fresh air. She supposed she should be happy. She was free, she was healthy and she had her entire life ahead of her and she could live it without fear or pain. But just like back in the room where she was locked up, she was alone. At least, she would be soon. 

Betty went to sit down on one of the couches and opened the food dish and grabbed some of the food and ate it while she thought. She didn’t know what was going to happen now but it made her nervous and anxious. Jughead had told her a while ago that he wouldn’t let Jellybean make him choose but how was he going to stop that if she did? He would obviously pick his family and she thought she was ready for that but the thought of suddenly being alone, even though she was trying to prepare herself, was terrifying.

She sighed and sat back, grabbing her book and opening it to settle in to read. She would see Jughead later and spend the night wrapped in his arms, one of her favorite things and for now, she would just relax and spend her evening enjoying her own company.

 

 

“Hey girlie, it’s good to have you back.” The well wisher was Tall Boy and Jughead glanced at Pea who caught his eye as well and the man gave a slight shake of his head and Jughead knew it wasn’t the time to ask.

“Hi Tall Boy,” Jellybean smiled. “It’s good to be back.” The two started some chit chat and Jughead signaled to Pea and got up and headed to the pool table. Pea took a moment to give JB a kiss and tell her where he was going if she needed him. They picked up the pool cues and started a game before standing on one end and observing Tall Boy talking to Jellybean.

“You find anything?” Jughead asked. A few days earlier he had asked Sweet Pea to look into the man, to see if anything had changed in his financials and when he’d left with FP for the day, he was tailed but the men just spent the day hitting different biker bars. When they had been gone, Archie had broken into Tall Boy’s apartment to have a look around but nothing was found.

“I didn’t find anything Jughead. If he’s a traitor, he’s really fucking good at covering his tracks or he’s gotten nothing out of it.”

“Nothing on his phone records?”

“Not that I could see. I think he’s clean,” Pea shrugged.

“Well who the hell else would betray us?” Jughead sighed, keeping his voice low. “He’s the only one always angry and going against me.”

“Well, you just described your father as well,” his friend pointed out.

“I asked him flat out and he swore it wasn’t him and despite his bullshit, I believe him. He’s never been a good liar. He spoke for Tall Boy, said he’d never betray me.”

“I don’t know, Jug. If we have a Serpent betraying us, I don’t know who it could be.”

“Well, I think the reason Chic only has my name and not where we live is because the traitor lives here as well and doesn’t want to lose his security.”

“So what do you want to do with Tall Boy? Question him?” Pea asked.

“I still don’t trust him and if he is the traitor and he thinks we’re on to him, who knows what he’d do. Let’s just keep an eye on him until after the heist,” Jughead suggested.

“Alright, I’ll get someone we can trust to shadow him.”

“Please tell me you two aren’t talking business,” Jellybean said with a laugh as she walked over to them.

“Hi love,” Pea said softly, pulling her close and kissing her hair. Jughead ducked his eyes, still finding it weird that they were a thing. 

“Sorry, sis,” Jughead smiled. “Just getting something out of the way.”

“Well, how about tonight we forget business and all the horrible things that have been going on and just have fun, sound good?” she asked. “I just want to enjoy my first night home with my family.”

“Would you like a drink of some kind?” Pea asked. 

“Just some sparkling water,” she smiled and he hurried to get it for her. Jughead sat on the edge of the pool table and bounced the cue between his legs. Jellybean studied him a moment before speaking. “That’s some nice facial hair you’ve got going on there,” she commented with a smirk. “Got too lazy to shave?”

“Betty likes it,” he said honestly. 

“So, I gather then that you’re still having your fling with the sister of the guy who almost killed me.” 

“Stop it,” Jughead said, doing his best to not get angry. He put down the cue and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it and taking a long drag before speaking again. “I thought you wanted to have a good time and not talk about what’s going on?”

“I tried not to notice how your visits weren’t as frequent after I found out about her,” Jellybean said, ignoring his point and sounding irritated.

“We’ve been a little busy,” he shrugged. “We just did the ruby heist again and we have the FBI one come up in a couple of weeks and it needs a lot of attention.”

“And that’s it?” she asked with a laugh.

“And maybe I didn’t like how pissed off you always were at me when I came to visit and honestly, I came for sure once a week, sometimes twice so I don’t know why you’re complaining.” 

“Well, I don’t know how I’m supposed to react, this fling is…”

“It’s not a fling, Jelly,” Jughead interrupted with a sigh. She furrowed her brow and shook her head. “I care about her, we established that when I told you about her.”

“What exactly are you saying, Jughead? You’re not just having sex? You’re in a relationship with this woman?”

“Yes, I am,” he said softly. Jellybean didn’t say anything, just stared at him as if waiting for him to tell her he was joking. “You need to forget who her brother is and get to know her. She’s a victim, just like you and she almost died, just like you. He brutalized her for years and somehow, she managed to stay kind and sweet and…”

“You’ve been avoiding relationships for years,” she interrupted him. “And she’s the one who changes your mind about it? Seriously?” Jughead let out a sigh and straightened up. 

“I’m not going to allow you to disrespect her, Jelly. She was kind enough to not want to upset you and stayed away tonight but she is going to be around and at some point, you will run into each other and I’m telling you now, she’s been through enough shit and I won’t allow anybody to hurt her, not even you.”

“Right,” she scoffed. “But who gives a fuck if I’m hurt, right? I mean, I was only shot and thrown in a fucking river.” 

“And she was beaten and starved for years. It’s not a fucking contest,” Jughead snapped, trying not to raise his voice. “Is this really how you want to spend your first night back home?”

“I can’t do this right now,” Jellybean said hoarsely. She turned and walked away from him and Jughead gritted his teeth in frustration. Pea came back with her drink and frowned after her as she stalked off.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“I told her I was in a relationship with Betty,” Jughead replied. Sweet Pea sat on the pool table and sighed.

“I don’t know what to say to her to make her think differently,” he admitted. “I tried Jug. I’ve tried telling her how great Betty is but she just can’t see past the fact that she’s Chic’s sister; even with everything he did to her.”

“Well, she’s going to have to learn because I’m not putting Betty out; even if I wasn’t involved with her. Where the hell would she go?”

“It’ll work itself out, Jughead,” Pea assured him.

“I know, I just…..I don’t want either of them hurt and Jelly is acting all hurt already, as if I set out to do this on purpose,” Jughead muttered.

“She’s been through a lot and I can’t even imagine how terrified she must have been in the short time she was with those monsters. Give her some time.”

“I know.” 

Sweet Pea grabbed the drink he had and headed toward Jellybean and Jughead went over to the bar to grab a scotch. Toni poured him one and gave it to him with a gentle smile. He leaned against the bar and watched his grandfather and sister laughing over something Pea had said and he sighed as he twirled his drink. He glanced at the time and saw it was creeping up on 9:00pm and he had no idea how long this thing was going to go and all he could think about was curling up with Betty. He looked at Archie who had settled on a stool beside him and saw him grinning at his phone and furrowed his brow in curiosity. 

“You’ve been smiling at your phone all evening,” he commented, taking a sip of the scotch. “Who are you talking to?”

“Got a date later,” Archie shrugged with a smirk.

“It’s almost 9:00, how late is this date?”

“Well, when I show up doesn’t really matter, as long as I bring the goods,” he replied with a wiggle of his eyebrows. Jughead rolled his eyes and let out a laugh.

“You seeing someone?” Archie just shrugged again and Jughead stared at him for a minute, not used to his friend not sharing all the details and then it dawned on him.

“Are you seriously becoming fuck buddies with Ava?” he asked in shock.

“Is that a problem?” Archie asked with a regretful grimace.

“Not as long as she doesn’t pull a fast one on you and I thought you said she was boring and vanilla.”

“Well, the second time around was a little more fun and if it keeps going that way, well, who knows how exciting things could get,” Archie grinned. Jughead rolled his eyes and shot back his scotch and signaled for another. He didn’t want to get drunk but a good buzz wouldn’t be bad. “Also, what’s with you and JB? Things looked a little tense at the pool table.”

“In short? She doesn’t want me involved with Betty.”

“Well, while I get her reasons, she should know you’d never be involved with Betty if she wasn’t wonderful and nothing like her brother. She needs to give her a chance.”

“Yeah, that’s what I keep saying but it doesn’t look like it’s going to be any time soon,” Jughead sighed.

“So what are you going to do?” Archie asked. Jughead looked across the room and saw the way Sweet Pea was looking at his sister and vice versa. It was very obvious they were in love and that he would do anything for her. 

“I’m going to take care of Betty and I’m going to protect her. I won’t abandon her and I hope Jelly doesn’t feel like I’m going against her because of it, but she has Pea to protect her and help her through this and I’m going to focus on helping Betty and hope for the best. Jellybean is my little sister but she’s not a kid anymore and she doesn’t need me to watch over her, she has someone else for that now and I’m going to step back and take care of what’s mine and let Pea take care of what’s his.”

“You realize this could get very difficult.”

“I’m aware of that and I know Betty will go out of her way to not upset JB and I’m hoping JB does the same. This has to work itself out,” Jughead insisted. Archie was about to say something when Fangs came into the lounge and made a beeline for Jughead.

“We have a problem boss,” he said hurriedly. “The feds showed up at the gate and since they’ve been here so many times, Jasper in security went ahead and buzzed them in.”

“What the fuck, seriously?” Jughead fumed. “His ass is fired. Where are they?”

“I think they’re headed…”

“Well, well, well,” Kevin Keller’s voice sounded through the lounge and everything seemed to come to a stop. Jughead pulled away from the bar and walked over to the agents, letting his face show his displeasure.

“It’s a little late for a house call, isn’t it?” he snapped angrily. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“You guys having a party?” Agent Mason asked, looking around the room. “Looks like a celebration.”

“It appears Jellybean Jones is home,” Kevin said with a smile in her direction. Jellybean stood and came over to them and shook Agent Keller’s hand.

“What brings you by?” she asked curiously.

“Well, I’d love to say I’m here to join the party, but alas, I wasn’t invited. I do, however, have some news on a development,” he said, looking back to Jughead.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Jelly, go sit down please,” Jughead said quietly. She raised an eyebrow and turned to look at him.

“Excuse me?”

“Go sit down,” he repeated more firmly. 

“Does this have anything to do with my case?” she asked the agent.

“Not directly,” Agent Keller said slowly. “It has no bearing on you.”

“I want to know anyway,” Jellybean said stubbornly. “If this is about Chic Cooper then I deserve to know. Did you know his sister lives here?” Jughead let out a furious sigh.

“Archie, why don’t we take this to the meeting room. I’ll be there in a minute.” Archie nodded and led the agents out of the lounge and Jughead glared at his sister.

“What the fuck are you doing? You just offer up information to federal agents that could land us in a heap of trouble?”

“Did they know she’s here?”

“Yes and that’s beside the point! If they hadn’t known you could have caused a massive fucking problem. Rein this shit in Jelly, I won’t put up with your tantrums; now go sit down!”

“This is a really great welcome Jughead,” she said furiously, her eyes filling with tears. “It’s very clear where your loyalty lies!”

“My loyalty lies with my family and that includes more than blood, now do as I said and go sit down!” he snapped. She turned and stormed back to her chair. Sweet Pea sighed and ran a hand through his hair. 

“Go a little easy on her Jug, come on, she just fucking got home. I understand you care about Betty, but this is your sister, for God’s sake, after everything she’s been through…”

“I realize I was harsh Pea,” Jughead grumbled. “But if this is how she’s acting when Betty isn’t even around…”

“I get it, you’re stuck right in the middle and I don’t envy your position but seriously, give her a minute to let this shit all sink in. She’s reacting without thinking to very conflicting feelings and this will take some time,” Pea tried to reason. Jughead just nodded, still feeling irritated. “Do you need me in the meeting room?”

“No, I’ll fill you in later, go be with Jelly.” Sweet Pea gave a nod and headed back to his girlfriend and Jughead headed to see the agents.

“Why are you here?” he asked as he stepped into the room.

“Seriously, you need to work on your greetings,” Agent Keller said with a laugh.

“It’s almost 9:30 on a Saturday night,” Jughead sighed. “Hardly the time for a visit.”

“Well, there was a development tonight that we thought you’d be interested in,” Mason said with a shrug.

“And what’s that?” Archie asked, leaning against the table and crossing his arms over his chest.

“We got another call a few hours ago. A body dump in the river because apparently whoever is getting rid of bodies these days likes to use the same dumping spot, which I’m chalking up as severe idiocy but we got called because it was a female with the same brand your sister had.”

“Someone else fighting to get away?” Jughead asked, feeling sick to his stomach.

“Well, that’s the strange part. It wasn’t someone new, it was Penny Peabody.” 

Jughead kind of froze for a moment, wondering if he should feel guilty that the sick feeling in his stomach slowly went away. The woman who had tortured Betty was dead and he felt like it was one less evil he had to take care of.

“Chic killed her?” he asked flatly.

“It appears on first glance that she was strangled and since they seemed to be partners, it’s the most probable that he is the one that did it, yes.”

“So I guess her family is going to be notified? Are you going to tell them the truth?”

“We’re unsure yet of how to go about this.”

“Seriously?” Jughead asked in confusion. “The woman has a record since she was a kid. I don’t think you’re going to be surprising them with the fact that she was a psychotic bitch. Why are you even telling us this?”

“Let’s say it’s in good faith. We’re in this together and we aren’t keeping things from you and hopefully, you’ll do the same,” Keller shrugged. Jughead made no remark on that. “Also, it shows us that Chic is still in New York. What about your contact, is there any news on that front?” Jughead looked at Archie who just shrugged with indifference.

“There was a delivery made to Miami a couple of weeks ago. A woman was delivered to the docks but there was no address or anything else he remembers.”

“Alright, we’ll have our Miami office look into things down there,” Keller said, making a note on his phone. “The heist for the list is in two weeks. How are you guys doing with the plans? Anything we need to be concerned about?”

“We’re having a little trouble with the safe door to the final safe but we’re working on it. If we can’t get it to work, Archie will have to figure out the code while we’re there and that would take more time than we’re willing to waste. Other than that, everything is falling into place.”

“Alright, we’ll be back next week and go over all the details and go from there,” Mason said. “Sorry we interrupted your party, we weren’t aware there was one and we’re happy Jellybean is home and safe.” Jughead nodded his thanks and the men left.

“Well, I wasn’t expecting that,” Archie said in surprise. “I can’t understand how Betty is related to such a sick fuck.”

“I have no idea, it’s mind boggling,” Jughead sighed. “How can someone be so evil and somebody be so good and they have the same mother.”

“Maybe he got dropped on his head,” Archie sighed. “All I know is; he can’t be allowed to continue and we need to end him.”

“We will,” Jughead said determinedly. They headed back to the lounge and Jughead walked over to the couch where Jellybean sat and she gave him a smile and he sat down.

“Look, Jelly, I’m sorry I snapped at you before, things are just a little tense right now,” he said quietly. “If it’s all the same, I think I’ll call it a night.” 

“It’s okay Jughead, I get it,” she said, resting her hand on his arm. “And please, we haven’t really gotten to talk properly; stay for a while longer. Please?” Jughead smiled and sat back. 

“Yeah alright,” he shrugged. He figured he owed her that much, no matter how much he missed Betty.

 

 

It was getting late and way up here on top of the roof, the stars were easy to see. Betty lay on the couch, her food eaten, her book laying on her chest and her last glass of wine sitting on the table next to her. She decided she might be drunk because she had drank the entire bottle but it had taken her several hours, so she might still be okay. The wine did help calm her anxiety a little, but it still lingered and she longed for Jughead’s arms. 

She figured she should probably go back to the apartment but she was starting to feel like she didn’t belong there. Like she didn’t belong anywhere. The only people she now had in her life were all many floors beneath her having a party without her and even though it had been her decision to not go, the right decision, she had never felt more alone than she did in that moment.

She hated to admit it, but a tiny part of her had thought that maybe when Jellybean realized she wasn’t there that she would send someone to get her and ask her to join but it had been hours already and nobody had come except for Cindy with the food. Betty sat up and grabbed a cushion and held it to her chest, pulling her knees up letting out a long shaky sigh. She thought about her life, how happy she had been and how it had all changed so quickly. For the first time in weeks, she let herself think about Polly and she wondered where her sister was. The more she thought about her own situation with Chic, the more she wondered if Polly had really run away. 

Betty felt her anxiety rip through her and her stomach clenched as she thought about it. Would her sister really leave her alone and not send help? They had been prisoners and if she had escaped, wouldn’t she have tried to come back and save her? Had Chic hurt Polly? 

The question suddenly started shadows swirling in her mind and she squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her hands. It did nothing to stop the demons that seemed to come to life and the images that suddenly manifested that had her gasping for breath. Her brother’s laughing, evil face, her sister’s screams. She could feel her throat closing up on her and sat up quickly, putting her head between her knees.

“Breathe, breathe,” she whimpered, trying to keep herself from falling head long into a panic attack. As quickly as she could manage, she blocked the images and forced herself to think about something that calmed her. Jughead. His handsome face. She wished with all her heart that he was with her. But he wasn’t with her, nobody was. There was a family celebrating the return of their loved one and she had nobody left. Her family was all gone and she was truly and completely alone. There wasn’t anybody in her life anymore and if she wouldn’t have been under Serpent protection, she wouldn’t have anywhere to go.

Maybe she should have let Jughead convince her to go to the party. Maybe she should have just gone and not cared if Jellybean was upset. Being uncomfortable at a party where she felt like she didn’t belong was better than being completely alone and feeling hopeless. Betty lowered her face into her hands and started to cry. 

 

 

Jughead threw back his scotch and winced as it burned down his throat. He figured he’d better stop before he got himself completely drunk but it helped calm his frayed nerves. It was creeping up on 11:00 and much to his annoyance, the party was still in full swing. Jellybean looked worn out but she refused to leave, claiming she had spent over two months in a hospital bed and she didn’t want to leave the celebration. He was about done. He missed Betty and he really hated that she was alone while everyone else was here. 

“You having fun?” JB asked, coming over to sit by him. Jughead let out a sigh and looked over at Pop who was dozing in his chair. 

“Yeah, it’s great,” he said with a smile. “But I think it’s time I got Pop upstairs. He’s not used to this.” Jellybean looked over at her grandfather and waved her hand.

“He’s fine Jug, come play pool with me,” she requested softly, her hand on his arm. 

“You should be going to bed,” he insisted.

“Please?” 

Jughead sighed and followed her over to the pool table. He’d give her a game and then he was done. She managed to get two out of him and when the second was over, he went back to the couch and moved to wake Pop to take him upstairs.

“Jughead,” Jellybean said softly. “Just let him sleep and we’ll talk and have a couple more drinks.” Jughead gritted his teeth and was about to snap at her he was interrupted.

“Jellybean!” Pop snapped, his eyes opening and his glare furious. She jumped and stepped back in surprise. “I think I’ve seen about enough of your games.”

“What….what are you talking about,” Jellybean stammered, unable to hide the look of guilt that crossed her face. 

“Your brother loves you and is happy to have you home and may be unaware of what you’re doing, but I can see it and you need to stop it now,” Pop said angrily.

“I’m not an idiot Pop,” Jughead muttered. “I know what she’s doing.” Pop stood and glared at him as well.

“Then why are you letting her?”

“Excuse me,” Jellybean sputtered. “What exactly am I doing? I just got home and I want to spend time with my brother.”

“Really?” Pop laughed. “Your boyfriend has been over there, watching you, unable to keep his eyes off you all evening and it’s Fangs that has to keep him entertained. How about Cheryl and Toni? I haven’t seen you exchange more than a few sentences with them and you three used to be like the three stooges attached at the hip. How about your father? He’s over in the corner drunk out of his mind because he has nothing else to do here because his daughter certainly isn’t entertaining him. No, you’ve been hanging all over Jughead all evening because you can see how much he misses Betty and you’re determined to keep him away from her and attached to you for as long as possible, even when you yourself are about to fucking fall over!” he finished angrily. Jellybean gaped at him and Jughead raised his eyebrows in surprise. Pop rarely cursed and for him to do it in anger at Jellybean was completely new.

“I wasn’t…” she started quietly.

“Hog wash,” Pop interrupted. “I’m telling you now Jellybean; I know you just got home and I know what happened to you was awful but understand something young lady, Betty has been through just as horrific a situation as you and she is _not_ guilty for her brothers sins. She is a victim, just like you and you will be respectful and you will stop your foolishness.”

“Wow, did you start doing movie night with her in my place?” Jellybean fumed.

“That’s enough!” Pop snapped. “Do not disrespect me young lady. You do not suddenly have license to be rude and petty. You were a victim but you will not play the victim card here!”

“Pop,” Jughead started.

“Jughead, go to your lady. She has been alone for hours and you don’t need to be here any longer,” Pop ordered. Jughead let out a breath, running a hand through his hair. He looked at Jellybean and stepped close to give her a hug goodnight and she glared at him and stepped back.

“Are you kidding me?” he sighed. “Jelly, you need to understand…”

“I understand, Jughead,” she talked over him. He gave up. The tension and issues would be there tomorrow to deal with and right now, he needed to make sure Betty was alright.

“I’m so thankful you’re home, Jelly,” he said softly. He reached over and hugged her, not caring if she didn’t welcome it. “How about I help you upstairs,” he said, turning to Pop.

“I’ll be fine,” the old man said. “Go see to Betty.” Jughead nodded and after a wave to the others, left the lounge.

 

 

It was only a short time later that Sweet Pea led Jellybean into his apartment. She was angry and looked defeated and wounded and he really didn’t know how to deal with this except to try and help her understand.

“You alright?” he asked softly.

“Peachy,” she muttered, throwing her wrap on the couch. “I mean, it’s great to come home and find my brother and grandfather are against me.”

“JB, they are not against you,” he sighed, kicking off his boots. “I wish you would at least try and understand what is happening here.”

“Are you going to side with them?”

“I’m not siding with anybody,” Pea snapped, coming to the end of his patience. “There are no sides here and you trying to make sides and forcing people to choose isn’t going to go over well. We were all devastated when you were found and you almost died. I can’t even tell you Jelly, how terrified we were, especially Jughead. He felt like he failed you, that it was somehow his fault. Betty told me she would find him walking the halls at night, begging Midge for updates. The night you flatlined he almost lost his mind. He didn’t sleep for days in the beginning and he was camped out by your side praying for a change, for you to wake up. He was determined and still is determined to kill Chic Cooper.”

“Look, Pea…”

“Let me finish,” he spoke quickly and she sighed and waved her hand with indifference. “We found out that a former Serpent worked for him and he’s the one who told you to fight, essentially saving your life. He told us about Betty and that Chic had already sold her older sister and Betty had been sold as well and would be shipped out the following day. Jughead decided to go steal her to draw Chic out. We had no idea what we were going to find and let me tell you, Jelly, it was awful.”

“I saw the picture,” she muttered.

“Yeah, well, it was worse in real life. I have no idea how she was still alive. She was skin and bones and covered in bruises; she looked horrible. Years Jellybean, she had been locked and starved in that room for years and the minute we saw her it was no longer about revenge or Chic or whatever, it was about helping her. A situation like that should harden a person, turn them to stone and she is sweet and kind and sees the world in such an innocent way. She also doesn’t take any shit from anybody and I guess that’s how she survived, she didn’t let her brother break her. She struggled, even now Jughead told me. She has nightmares, she digs her nails into her palms, she blocks things out to keep from losing it. She is a victim as much as you are and you can’t hold her brothers horrific sins against her.”

“Well, it’s nice to see she has everyone fawning all over her,” Jellybean said with a laugh. “And for the record, I don’t blame her for what her brother did but how would you feel if the man who brutalized you was staring back at you in the face of his sister? I don’t blame her for what happened Sweet Pea, but I shouldn’t have to be reminded of it every time I look at her face, so if you don’t mind, I’ll just avoid her.”

“You can’t avoid her forever babe, your brother is in love with her,” Pea said quietly.

“In love with her?”

“Yes, he is and that should tell you what kind of woman she is. He knows her better than any of us and for a man who runs from love like the devils chasing him, she made him come to a complete stand still and he fell for her before he even knew what was happening. If she can manage that, she’s got to be pretty great.”

“Are _you_ in love with her?” Jellybean asked with an eyeroll and he couldn’t help his furious glare. “Everyone keeps trying to convince me about how great she is and nobody is listening to me and my feelings and I’m just supposed to accept it and get over it. How do you not understand why I feel betrayed?”

“Betrayed? For god’s sake…” Pea sighed. “What do you want Jughead to do, Jelly? Put her out? Because you don’t like her face? She hasn’t got anywhere to go! Her family is gone! She’s been locked in a fucking room for years; she has no friends except for the Serpents. You seriously want us to just throw her out? You don’t care that your brother loves her? For the first time in his life, he’s in love and we all know he’s avoided it because he’s afraid he will lose whoever he loves and you just want her put out? Without a thought about him?”

“You know what? Jughead was right. I am completely exhausted and I don’t have the energy to talk about this right now. I’ll be in your guest room.” She snapped as she headed down the hall.

“Seriously?” he barked after her. “Fuck,” he muttered, dropping on the couch and laying his head back. He really wasn’t up for this bullshit. As much as he loved her, Jellybean was being fucking ridiculous and her cold attitude was completely unlike her. He knew that tragedy tended to change people but this was so the opposite of the woman he thought she was and he was seriously concerned.

 

Jughead found the apartment empty and headed up to the terrace, eager to see Betty, hoping she was alright. He paused at the door to the roof and reached up to click off the main switch to the camera’s they had up there. While the monitor was usually turned off in the security room, he wasn’t taking any chances. He pulled open the door and saw Betty sitting on lounge couch on the other side of the roof and he headed over.

“Hey,” he said softly and she jumped a little at his voice. She looked at him and his heart sank as he took in her swollen red rimmed eyes and the way her fists were tightly clenched. Her chin trembled and a look of relief flickered over her face at seeing him and he sat quickly and pulled her into his arms. “It’s ok,” he whispered when she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and started to cry once again.

“I’m sorry,” she cried against his neck and he sighed and pulled her onto his lap, his hand sliding into her hair, cradling her head to his shoulder.

“I didn’t think I would be gone so long,” he murmured. “And why are you sorry?”

“For crying all over you,” she hiccupped into his shirt. Jughead shifted her and pulled her arms from his neck, his hands covering hers and gently uncurled her fingers, letting out a shaky breath when he saw the nail prints in her palms. 

“What’s wrong?” he asked tenderly, lifting a hand to wipe the tears off her cheek. She shook her head and wiped her face, letting out a sad laugh.

“Nothing, I was just feeling sorry for myself,” she shrugged.

“Betty, tell me.”

“I was just thinking about life, you know?” Betty said with a deep sigh. “I was thinking about my parents and my sister and Chic and all these….all these ugly and scary images starting flying at me and to stop them I started thinking about you and I just….i felt really alone and I felt like I was going to have a panic attack and before I knew it, I was…..” she trailed off and shook her head. 

“Tell me,” Jughead said softly. 

“I haven’t got anybody Jug,” she whispered, more tears filling her eyes. “I’m completely alone and I have nowhere to go…”

“Betty…”

“I was sitting here and thinking about you and your family and all the Serpents celebrating your sister and I realized that I don’t belong,” she said in a choked voice. “You know I kept thinking someone might come and get me because she wouldn’t mind and that’d I’d be welcomed and the longer I sat, the more hopeless I felt and I’m not saying this to make anybody feel bad, I don’t want anybody to feel like they need to include me but I just realized that I don’t belong here,” she finished in a whisper. “This isn’t my place and this isn’t my family.”

“Stop it,” Jughead insisted firmly. “You absolutely belong here and everybody cares about you and you have become part of our family. You must now that.”

“She’s still angry with you, isn’t she,” Betty asked. “She doesn’t want me here.”

“Jellybean will come around and until then, I’m not going to let her dictate what happens with you. You’re with me Betty and if you’re with me, you’re family. You belong here and you belong with me.” Jughead felt his heart ache at the uncertainty and fear in her eyes. He wished he could help her understand how important, how special she was to him. He didn’t want to hold it in anymore.

“Jughead, she’s your sister and her feeling should matter…”

“They do matter, but I won’t let her be disrespectful or treat you badly for shit your brother did. You are just as much a victim as she is and I love my sister, but she is wrong in this and she needs to step back and realize that you are not him,” he said determinedly. 

“I’m scared Jug,” Betty admitted. “I’m scared that one day you’ll see what she sees and that this thing between us will be over….and I know it was never supposed to go this far, that we were just going to…..i mean, I knew there would be an expiration date to this, but I just….i didn’t mean to fall in love with you,” she suddenly blurted as she once again burst into tears. Jughead wrapped his arms around her again and hugged her close, feeling like his heart just filled to bursting. “I didn’t mean to say….I just don’t want to lose you,” she cried against his neck.

“You’re not going to lose me Betty,” he said fiercely. “I promise.”

“What if she says she doesn’t want you with me?” she whimpered. Jughead once again eased her back because he needed her to understand. He cupped her face in his hands and wiped her tears with this thumb.

“Well, that’s too bad because I need you with me,” he said softly.

“Why?” She asked sadly, moving his hands and hiding her face in his neck again.

“Because I love you,” he whispered against her hair. Jughead felt something in his heart unclench as he finally admitted how he felt and she went still against him before slowly leaning back, her eyes wide, staring at him in shock and then she started shaking her head and tried to pull away.

“No, Jughead….” She seemed to go into a panic and for a moment he wondered if he shouldn’t have told her. 

“Betty,” he grabbed at her hands when she pushed to get off his lap. 

“Jughead you can’t,” she cried. “What if something happens? This is so messy and complicated. You can’t love me Jug. It’s too scary….I’m too….im scared…” she let out in a sob as she wilted against him.

“I’m scared too,” he whispered against her ear, his arms holding her tight. He felt her shudder against him and stroked her back, trying to help her calm down. “It’s going to be okay, baby, I promise.”

“You can’t promise that,” she sniffed against his neck, trying to get herself under control.

“Yes I can. I will give my life to protect and take care of the people I love.” 

“I thought you didn’t want to love anybody.” He could feel the tension leaving her body as she seemed to melt into him and he let out a thankful sigh, holding her even tighter.

“You changed my mind,” he murmured. 

“I love you too,” she whispered against his skin, her lips brushing softly as she spoke. His heart started racing, an affliction he seemed to have since he’d met her, as she pressed small kisses under his ear and when they moved up and along his jaw, Jughead turned his head and caught her mouth with his, kissing her slowly, gently, hoping it conveyed just how much he really did love her. He felt like he couldn’t breathe at his admission but in the best possible way. “I really do love you so much,” she breathed against his mouth when he paused for breath. Jughead held her face in his hands, holding her gaze so she would understand how serious he was.

“I won’t let anything take you away from me,” he vowed and she nodded her understanding and he pulled her in for a kiss again. Betty shifted so she was straddling him and held on to him and he could feel her trembling as his hands moved over her back. “I love you,” he whispered again, needing her to take it deep in her heart, needing it deep in his heart. It was terrifying and freeing all at the same time.

“I love you,” she returned, her kisses moving over his face. “I love you,” she kept whispering as he tried to get her lips where he wanted them. When he finally managed, she clutched him to her, drinking him in, opening for his tongue. They were long lazy kisses, thorough and filled with passion and whispers of love that soothed their hearts as they moved together like they were made for each other. Betty rested her hands on his shoulders and pressed against him and his hands moved to the buttons of the summer dress she was wearing, slowly opening them as he kissed her, the back of his fingers grazing her skin and she pulled back and watched his face as he slowly opened it. “What if someone comes up here?” she asked breathlessly.

“I locked the door,” he replied, his eyes shining with desire. 

“You make my heart happy,” she whispered with a trembling smile. Jughead groaned when he saw she wasn’t wearing a bra and he didn’t bother taking her dress off all the way, just opened it and let it hang like a cape around her. She smiled at the breath he let out as he gazed at her, his hands coming up to gently cup her breasts. She was stunning. It was almost completely dark but the fire table in front of them gave enough light for him to see the emotions that played across her face. Desire, need, trust and the one that burned into him, love. She let out a whimper when his thumbs brushed over her nipples and she arched her back, her eyes fluttering closed. He leaned in and ran his tongue over one and she pressed closer and let out a moan when he took it in his mouth. She ran her hands into his hair and moved against him as she took his face in her hands and lifted it, pressing her mouth to his, giving him her tongue and he spent minutes just kissing her, deeply, thoroughly until they were gasping for breath, his hands in her hair, his hips moving against hers.

“You are so beautiful,” he whispered as their kisses, lazy and wet, set a fire inside his veins. Betty reached down and fumbled with his belt and pants until she could reach in and wrap her hand around him. He was hard and pulsing in her hand and his head fell back against the seat, his eyes closing and a gasp leaving his lips. He would never tire of her touch, the way she made him burn for release. Jughead pulled at her panties and she quickly lifted to slide them down her legs and then she was straddling him once again, their mouths suddenly clinging, desperate and she pulled at his pants and he lifted slightly so she could slip them down a little and free him. 

“I need you,” she whimpered, rubbing against him, letting his arousal slide against her core and he groaned.

“Fuck, you’re wet,” he gasped, grasping her hips and sliding her against him. “Take me, Betty. I want to be inside you.” She shifted and moved her hand down to position him and then she slid down over him, moaning as he stretched her. Jughead felt his entire body burst into flame as her heat enveloped him and he groaned, his hands digging into her skin. “Fuck me, let me feel you move on me.” Betty rose and fell, taking him deep and hard their mouths meeting in breathless kisses, clinging and parting, tongues stroking, moans mingling and breath colliding. It was different, he could feel it and the way she clung to him, he knew she could feel it too.

“I am so in love with you,” he whispered against her mouth. At his heated words her movements became a little more urgent and Jughead pressed his mouth more firmly over hers, deepening the teasing kisses, their mouths fusing together as if terrified to be apart. Desperate, drugging, tongue stroking kisses that left them reeling and straining for release. “You’re so incredible,” he groaned when they parted for a second. She dove back in, her tongue wrestling with his as his hands gripped her tighter. Their gasps and moans filling the air as they moved together. He moved one hand between her legs, his fingers circling her clit and she shuddered, moving faster. His hips thrust back to match her movements and she let out a ragged groan as he hit spots deep inside her, causing her eyes to roll back in ecstasy. “Baby, come for me,” he gasped, feeling himself start to lose control. “Please,” he begged, trying to hang on as he rubbed his fingers more firmly on her.

“Jug,” she moaned, pressing her forehead to his, moving her body up and down on him, and he could feel her start to tighten. 

“Yes, that’s it,” he groaned when he felt the fluttering start. “Let go, love,” he demanded as he ducked his head and took a nipple in his mouth. She fell apart, her body gripping him like a vise and his head fell back as he thrust up into her and orgasmed in a rush, holding her still as he pumped his release into her, emptying himself. “Fuck,” he gasped as Betty sank against him, shaking and digging her nails into his skin. She was crying again and he held her tightly, pressing kisses to her hair, her body still fluttering around him and he breathed heavily against her ear.

“I love you,” she cried, her arms wrapped so tightly around his neck, it almost hurt. 

“I love you too,” he assured her. “You’ve become my heart.” She pulled back slowly and looked at him, her eyes shimmering with hope instead of sadness and she let out a happy laugh, the tears in her eyes happier this time.

“Are you sure?” she asked, biting her lip. “I have some baggage.”

“I have lots of room,” he smiled. She grabbed his face and leaned in to kiss him and he eagerly kissed her back.

 

A while later, Betty lay curled against Jughead in bed, her head resting on his chest, his hand stroking her hair. Her heart felt exhausted from the rollercoaster it had been on all evening and despite being overwhelmed by it all, she felt cautiously content. 

“Jug?” she whispered.

“Hmmmm?”

“I don’t want to be the reason everyone is fighting,” she said sadly. “I don’t want to come between you and your sister.”

“You won’t,” he insisted. “Everything is going to be okay.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I love you and because it has to be.” It wasn’t very reassuring but it was hopeful. Betty turned to look at him, her heart once again racing at his admission of love. Somehow, in the midst of all this confusion and angst that life was throwing at them, the man who ran from love had fallen as in love with her as she had with him. It was terrifying. She leaned up to kiss him and let him take her mind somewhere else and for the moment, chased the fear from her heart and replaced it with hope. 

 

Reggie sat back in his chair in the lounge where he was hanging out with his usual crew. He wondered if there was any way that he could get away from this mess with his life. He took a long drink of his beer and looked to the door when he heard voice. He stared in surprise as Chic Cooper entered the room. 

The man was rarely seen and gave his orders through his more trusted men, Malachi and Chuck. The fact that he was in the building and in the same room with him was unnerving. 

“Well, looks like you guys are nice and comfortable,” he said with a harsh laugh and everyone straightened and tensed as he glanced around the room. “I’ll be setting up shop here for a couple of weeks and I need some good men that I can trust.” Nobody jumped at the offer and he didn’t seem to care, knowing that most of his men feared him and didn’t want jobs from him because they were terrified of failing. Chic looked around again and Reggie felt his stomach turn when his eyes stopped on him. “You, what’s your name again?”

“Reggie.”

“Alright, Reggie, I have a job for you and I trust you’ll get it done.”

“What’s the job?” Reggie asked nervously.

“You’re in charge of finding Jughead Jones and I strongly suggest you don’t disappoint me,” Chic said with a sinister sneer. Reggie swallowed and nodded and managed a smile. “If you manage to find him for me, I’ll pay you double the reward I’ve offered,” he added.

“You got it Boss.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out as i'm working on a little Bughead Christmas thingy and this month is very busy for me. Shouldn't be too long though. Love you guys.


	20. Traitor In Our Midst

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Gun handling

Betty woke with a start, sitting up and taking a few gasping breaths. Jughead woke immediately and sat up, his arm coming around her and pulling her into his side.

“It’s ok,” he whispered. “Just breathe.” Betty nodded and took a few long calming breaths until her breathing leveled out. She shuddered and wrapped her arms around his waist, absorbing his warmth as his hands stroked her back, soothing her. “It’s ok.” After a few moments, he lay back slowly, taking her with him until she was cuddled next to him. “Tell me,” he said softly.

“It’s nothing,” she whimpered, burrowing closer like she was trying to crawl inside him.

“Please tell me,” he insisted, pulling her right on top of him and holding her tight. Betty lay her cheek on his chest and let his heartbeat soothe her as she tried to calm down. The time on the clock read 3:30 and she concentrated on the red numbers in the dark of the room as her body warmed and calmed on top of his. 

“I think Chic hurt my sister,” she whispered and the hand stroking up and down her back, paused. “I keep seeing these images and dreaming about her screaming and calling for me and I can’t get to her and she’s….” Betty’s voice broke and he held her tighter. “I don’t know where she is,” she cried, her tears wetting his chest.

“I’ll find her for you,” Jughead said in a whisper. “I promise.” She slowly turned her head and looked at him and he smiled gently, his fingers tracing the tears down her cheeks.

“I don’t want you to promise that,” she said sadly. “I don’t want you to make a promise you have no way of knowing you’ll be able to keep.” Jughead moved his hands until he held her face gently, his thumbs brushing away the last of her tears.

“I promise you that I will find your sister,” he vowed. “No matter how long it takes.” She saw in his eyes that he meant every word and she wondered how, after the life she had had for so many years, she had managed to be gifted with such a wonderful man.

“I love you,” she whispered, her voice trembling.

“I love you too.” Betty bit her lip and smiled at his confession.

“I didn’t dream it? You really love me?” she asked.

“I really love you,” he assured her with a smile. Betty sighed almost in relief and snuggled back against his chest and let his warm arms and heartbeat lull her back to sleep.

When she woke again, she saw that it was 8:30 and Jughead was still fast asleep beside her. She was surprised as he was usually gone around that time, especially with the benefit looming so close. His arm was still wrapped around her and she was now tucked into his side. It still felt so foreign to her, this beautiful and sexy man was in love with her and holding her tightly and promising her things he probably couldn’t deliver but was determined to anyway.

“Jug,” she said softly, touching his cheek. “Are you over sleeping? Shouldn’t you be up already?” He mumbled something and flopped onto his stomach, still throwing his arm across her waist and fell asleep again. “Jug…”

“It’s Sunday babe,” he mumbled into the pillow.

“Oh, right,” she whispered, snuggling closer. She liked Sundays. They usually stayed in bed half the morning and spent the day being lazy unless Jughead had something pressing to get to. He shifted again and lay on his side, spooning her to him and kissing her hair.

“Did you rest better?” he asked, his voice husky and gruff from sleep.

“Some…” 

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, pressing another kiss to her temple and then her cheek. “Do you want me to call Midge, maybe get some more of the meds you were using?” Betty shook her head and turned so she was facing him.

“I just need you,” she replied.

“Well, I was beside you all night and it didn’t help,” he frowned. 

“It did. If you weren’t beside me, it would be worse,” she insisted. Jughead sighed and pulled her closer. “I feel safe right here, wrapped in your arms.”

“I like you right here in my arms,” he smiled. Betty leaned in and kissed him, soft and slow. He responded immediately and just as things were getting intense, his phone rang. “Mother fucker,” he sighed against her mouth. He grabbed it and hit answer. “What?”

“I was wondering if you wanted to join me for breakfast?” Jellybean’s voice filtered out and Betty shifted back and lay on her pillow, pulling the blanket up again.

“Go with your boyfriend,” Jughead snapped and hung up the phone. Betty looked at him in surprise.

“What the hell?” 

“She’s doing it on purpose,” he muttered.

“You don’t know that…”

“Yeah, I do,” he laughed. Betty sat up and was going to get up when he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back down, leaning on his elbow and looking down at her. “Where you going?”

“Jughead, I don’t want to be a problem for you and your sister…” she said sadly, her chin trembling.

“Do you really think I’m going to let my sister dictate who I’m going to be with? Even if none of this had happened, even if it was some other woman she decided to hate, I’m not going to ask her for permission in regards to my love life.”

“Okay, this is a little different then her just not liking the woman you’re with,” Betty explained.

“Betty, I love you,” Jughead said softly. “I’m not letting you go and we’ll figure this out, okay?” She just nodded and he pulled her close and kissed her and she felt the promise in it. When he pulled back she was smiling and he winked at her and she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him on top of her. “Now, I prefer to have our usual Sunday routine,” he teased, pressing against her. 

“And what’s that?” she teased back, moving with him.

“Oh I don’t know, some good sex, lying in bed half the day, eating and snuggling on the couch.”

“Sounds perfect,” she whispered as she pulled him down for a kiss.

It was a perfectly relaxing day.

 

 

It was Monday and back to the grind and Jellybean was busy trying to get her bearings at being back home and figuring out what she wanted to do. She had been on her way to Chicago to get settled and wait for school to start and now she had no idea what she wanted to do. She walked into the lounge and saw Jughead standing next to the bar having a smoke and going over some papers in front of him. She was still bristling at his rude hang up from the previous morning and decided to ignore him as she settled on one of the stools. 

“Hey Jug, here’s your sandwich,” Toni suddenly appeared out of the kitchen and placing the food in front of him. 

“Thanks,” he said, picking it up and taking a bite. Jellybean thought he looked tired and was about to go and try to smooth things between them because she suddenly felt bad when Toni spoke again.

“How’s Betty?” the woman asked softly and JB sat quietly to listen. “Was she alright on Saturday night? Being alone all night couldn’t have been fun for her.”

“She wasn’t doing well,” he said quietly, putting his food down. “I found her crying and she’d had a panic attack. It took a while to calm her down. She feels alone, Toni and like she doesn’t belong and I tried to convince her that we all care about her. She had nightmares again. We had a good day yesterday but last night was mostly just restless sleeping again and I feel like she’s going backwards,” he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“I’m sorry, Jug,” Toni said sadly. “This can’t be easy for her and I know she’s going to do everything she can to not upset JB, but nobody wants her to feel like she doesn’t belong or isn’t welcome…”

Jellybean felt her stomach clench anxiously and she got up and hurried from the lounge as they hadn’t noticed yet that she was there. She leaned against the wall and took a deep breath. Her brother looked worn out and while she still felt like she couldn’t be around Betty Cooper, she knew she should probably fix things with her brother so there was a sensible blanket of peace and so he’d have one less thing to be bothered by. She let out a frustrated huff and got angry with him all over again for falling in love with the woman. 

 

 

“Okay, hold it right there,” Archie said, gripping the drill and lining it up as he and Betty were desperately trying to figure out how to not break the safe glass.

“No wait,” Betty said, crouching next to him. “Let me get in here….” She scooted between his arms and peeked through the hole he had drilled. “Okay, you’re sure you can make this second hole on the real safe?”

“Yeah, it’s the same safe door, it will work. I just can’t drill through from that angle.” Betty look into the hole and saw the latch that she could see was changing the angle of the drill in the other hole in the lock mechanism.

"There's no way you can make the second hole anywhere else? Not even a millimetre to the right?"

"Nope," Archie sighed. "If I do then it won't go through the lock piece."

“Okay, let me try something,” she said as she stuck her finger inside. The hole was just wide enough for her pinkie and thankfully the latch wasn’t in far. She pushed against it and it shifted. She moved and peered into the other hold and saw the bump he had to drill past was gone. “Okay, try now,” she told him. Archie carefully inserted the drill again and ran it through slowly and she held her breath when the drill bit hit the glass and then to their shock and excitement, it drilled straight through without so much as a crack. 

“Holy fuck,” Archie exclaimed, pulling the drill about and walking around the door. He peered at the glass and looked at her. “It worked.” He grabbed Betty and twirled her around in a hug and she laughed happily at their accomplishment.

“Archie, get your paws off my girl,” Jughead said suddenly and Archie almost dropped her in surprise and Betty giggled as he flushed red. Jughead was leaning against the doorframe, arms folded across his chest, a smile of his face. Betty ran over and he straightened just in time and caught her in a hug as she flung herself at him.

“We figured it out!” she exclaimed, giving him an excited kiss.

“You did?” he asked in surprise, walking with her still lifted against him into the room and over to the safe door. 

“Well, Miss Smarty Pants over here figured it out,” Archie chuckled. “I drilled a second hole to see if there was a different place we could drill through and turns out, I can’t, but there was a latch that is getting in the way in the place where I have to drill through and it lifts the bit slightly and Betty realized that both holes open into the lock mechanism and she could reach the latch from the second hole and if she presses on it while I drill, I can go through straight. So, we just have to make the proper measurements of where to drill and if we work together carefully, it’s a done deal.” Jughead studied the drillings with an impressed look and then suddenly he frowned and straightened.

“Wait,” he said slowly. “Betty has to be present for this?”

“Well, yeah…” Archie said slowly.

“No.”

“Jug….” Betty sighed.

“No fucking way!” he snapped. 

“I can do this!” she insisted firmly.

“I have no doubt that you can do this babe,” he agreed. “You’re just not going to the benefit. There is no way I’m putting you in that kind of danger. Forget it!” He pulled out his phone and shot off a text. “We’ll get Toni or Cheryl to do it.” Betty clenched her jaw, biting back an angry retort.

“Come on Jug, Betty’s been helping me with this for weeks,” Archie said quietly. “She should be able to do it.” Jughead looked at her and she tried really hard to not show how upset she was because she understood his fear but she was feeling so accomplished and felt she’d earned the right to help. 

“I’m sorry, I can’t let you do this,” he said with a sigh. Betty gripped her hands together and nodded. She knew she wasn’t going to be able to change his mind. A few minutes later, Cheryl and Toni showed up and looked at them in confusion.

“What’s up?” Toni asked, walking over to the door. 

“Put your finger in this hole,” Archie ordered. She looked at him with a raised brow.

“Are you trying to be a pervert?” 

“Just do it,” he sighed with a roll of his eyes. “Your pinkie.” Toni tried and couldn’t do it and then Cheryl tried. “They don’t fit, Jug,” Archie informed him. “Betty is still thin enough to get her little finger in there.”

“So use something else,” Jughead said in exasperation. “You’re seriously telling me that only Betty’s finger will work?”

“What’s going on?” Cheryl asked slowly. Archie explained and she turned to look at Jughead with a frown. “After all the work she’s put into trying to figure this out you’re seriously not going to let her do this? She did amazing at the party last week, she's earned it.”

“The stakes are a lot higher this time and it’s too dangerous,” he explained. Betty could tell he was getting angry and she walked over and touched his arm.

“It’s okay, Jug,” she said softly. “We’ll figure something else out.”

“The fuck we will,” Archie glared. “I’m tired of this shit and we finally have it figured out and Jughead, I’m sorry but I’m going to have to go against you on this.”

“Go against me?” he laughed. “What the fuck do you think that will accomplish?”

“I refuse to do it if she can’t do it with me.”

“Seriously?” 

“Yes, I’m dead fucking serious. Send up Fangs and I’ll show him how to do this shit.”

“God dammit, Arch,” Jughead snapped.

“I’m doing it with Betty or not at all,” Archie snapped back. “We know how to take care of our team and we’ll take care of her. You know we would never put her in danger and if there is even a hint of it, we’ll call it off. You know this. Why are you being so fucking stubborn?”

“Because I love her god dammit and I don’t want anything to happen to her!” Jughead roared. Everyone just kind of froze and while Betty wasn’t as surprised as the rest of them at his admission of love because she’d heard it already, she was surprised that he’d just blurted it out. “Fuck,” he muttered angrily and turned sharply, storming from the room. The other three turned and looked at her and she flushed at their perusal.

“Yeah, he already told me so it’s not news to me,” she said quickly and hurried from the room after him. 

Betty found Jughead in their apartment, standing by the window and smoking a cigarette. He glanced at her when she came in and let out a long sigh. She walked over to him and he snuffed out the smoke as her arms wrapped around his waist.

“I won’t go if you don’t want me to,” she whispered against his chest, hating how upset and anxious he was.

“No, Archie’s right,” he said quietly, his own arms coming around her, hugging her tightly. “You earned the right to work the heist and I won’t stop you.” Betty leaned back and looked up at him.

“But you’re afraid,” she said softly and he swallowed. She realized that in his position as leader and the Shadow Thief, being afraid was a hard thing to admit to.

“Yeah…” The word sort of cracked out of him and she framed his face with her hands and gave him a gentle smile. 

“It’s okay to be afraid,” she whispered. “Fear keeps you alive.”

“Well then you better be fucking terrified,” he said gruffly. She laughed softly and pulled him down for a kiss that he returned as eagerly as always. “You want to go to the bedroom?” he asked when she pulled away. 

“No,” she laughed. “I really do have to figure out the measurements now with Archie and make sure we get it again and that the first time wasn’t a fluke.”

“Alright fine,” he sighed. “If you’d rather go play with Archie’s drill instead of mine…”

“Oh my god!” she exclaimed. “You’re so ridiculous,” she giggled. His eyes were teasing and had a glimmer of heat and she felt herself go warm and pressed closer. “Okay, but make it quick,” she relented. He grinned and swept her up in his arms and carried her down the hall.

“Can’t promise I’ll be quick babe, but I’ll make it worth your while,” he promised.

 

A long while later, much longer than Betty had originally figured they’d be, she hopped back into her clothes to go help Archie again. She laughed at Jughead still lounging lazily against the pillows, a satisfied smirk on his face.

“Don’t you have things to do?” she asked.

“And miss the show? Not a chance,” he winked. She leaned down to kiss him again and he grabbed her and then she was sitting in his lap.

“I really should go,” she insisted with a sigh as he kissed her neck.

“I’d rather you stayed,” he murmured and then let out a sigh when his phone buzzed. Betty grabbed it and it was Archie, asking if Betty could come back, he had a problem. “Cock blocker,” Jughead grumbled when she showed him the message.

“I guess he’s assuming I’ll be working with him,” she said with a smile. She kissed him again and stood up. “I’ll see you later.” He sighed in resignation and she left the room to head out.

She opened the door to leave the apartment and came face to face with Jellybean Jones who had her hand raised to knock. The woman froze and just kind of stared at her and Betty swallowed around the lump that formed in her throat and clutched the door knob in a tight grip.

“I…I need to see Jughead,” JB managed around a choked voice. Betty stepped aside and let her in.

“He’s just…he’ll be out in a minute,” she managed to say. She turned to once again leave and then paused and took a deep breath to calm her nerves before turning to face his sister again. “Can I just….” She started and then felt her voice come to a stop in fear when JB turned to look at her with such animosity that Betty almost started to cry. She quickly blinked and took another breath. “I just wanted to say that I’m sorry,” she managed to whisper. “I’m so sorry for what my brother did to you and I understand why you feel the way you feel and I don’t blame you. I don’t blame you at all. I just wanted you to know that I’m so very sorry and he deserves to die and he will. Jughead is going to kill him for you.”

“I’m going to kill him for both of you,” Jughead said firmly, coming down the hall. Betty managed a wobbly smile at him, not missing the annoyed look on his sister’s face that he was wearing only jeans and an open shirt, his hair still messy from their romp. It wasn’t hard to figure out what they’d been doing.

“That’s great,” JB said flatly. “I need to talk to you Jughead.”

“So talk…” 

“I’m gonna go,” Betty said softly, turning to leave.

“I’ll see you later, love,” he said softly and Betty nodded, her eyes stinging with tears at his endearment. She didn’t dare look at JB again as she hurried from the room.

 

 

“Do you need a minute to finish dressing?” JB asked, her voice filled with irritation as Jughead leaned against the island, arms folded across his chest.

“You’ve seen me in less. What’s your problem?”

“Did you add the _love_ to your _see you later_ just to irritate me?” she asked bluntly.

“No, Jelly,” he snapped. “I added it because I love her and it has nothing to do with you, nor does it concern you.”

“Seriously, I just fucking got home a couple of days ago, can you at least try to act like you care and be nice,” she snapped back.

“You really think I’m not happy that you’re home? I’m so grateful that you’re home, you have no idea. What I don’t understand is your need to create a problem with and for Betty when there doesn’t need to be one. She is as much a victim of that sick fuck as you are and dare I say, almost worse than what you were. She is barely fucking holding it together; she doesn’t sleep, she has nightmares when she does, she’s having panic attacks, she feels alone and terrified and even though I told her that I loved her, I think she’s waiting for me to change my mind for you. All she’s thinking about is how she doesn’t want to make anything difficult for you when she isn’t at all. The person making this difficult, Jellybean, is you. You have no cause to hate her, she has done nothing wrong and you seem to be going out of your way to show her that you can’t stand her and you think everyone is against you because of your childishness. She just apologized to you for shit her brother did that wasn’t her fault and you didn’t even acknowledge it,” Jughead fumed. “I know you went through something awful and that you’re still trying to come to terms with it, but I’m telling you now, this is not the way to do it and you will only make things worse.”

“You’re right,” she said softly.

“What?” 

“You’re right,” she said again with a sigh. “And I actually came here to apologize to you because it’s obvious she isn’t going anywhere and I don’t want to be the reason anybody is having a difficult time or whatever. Despite the fact that I acted childish right before your grand speech, I did come here to say I’m sorry and I’m not going to make things difficult. I’m going to be civil Jughead, for the sake of not bringing tension or issues. That being said, I’m not going to pretend I just accept her and while I’m sure we’ll run into each other, I’m going to do my best to just avoid her and keep things peaceful.”

“JB, if you just spend some time with her…” he started.

“I can’t. Not yet and I don’t know when I’ll be able to,” she said quietly, her chin quivering. “I understand that she suffered too and that she’s been through something awful and I know what happened isn’t her fault, but I just…” her eyes filled with tears and she huffed in annoyance and wiped at them as they fell. “Jesus Christ, Jughead, she looks just like him…” she whispered. “She has his eyes.”

“I doubt that,” he said softly. “I’ve never looked into his eyes but I can guarantee they aren’t clouded with the anguish I see when she wakes from a nightmare. I doubt they are filled with the fear I see in hers when she thinks about him. And I seriously doubt his are filled with any kind of love; not like hers are when she looks at me.”

“Well, I hope one day I can look into hers and not see his,” Jellybean whispered and she turned and hurried out the door. Jughead sighed and ran his hands through his hair. He was going to rip that mother fuckers eyes right out of his head if it’s the last thing he did.

 

 

By the time Betty reached the safe room, she was on her way to a panic attack. She walked in and started pacing, shaking out her hands, taking deep breaths and Archie looked up from the paper he was reading and looking at her with wide eyes. She leaned her arm against the wall and took deep breaths, lowering her forehead to lean on it and closing her eyes.

“Betty?” he spoke softly, his voice filled with concern. He quickly pulled out his phone and sent a text to Jughead before walking over and grabbing her shoulders to help her straighten. “Hey, are you okay?” he asked. Betty shook her head, feeling like her chest was closing up on her. “Breathe Betty,” Archie said quickly, grabbing a chair and pulling it close and helping her sit. “Put your head down and take some breaths.”

Betty rested her forehead on her knees and took some gasping breaths, that sounded more like sobs than anything and they may well have been with the tears suddenly flowing down her cheeks. Jughead arrived a couple of minutes later and rushed over, crouching in front of her. Archie stepped back and let him handle it.

“It’s okay baby,” he said softly as he pulled her from the chair and into his arms. He sat on the floor and leaned against the work bench and she curled against him in his lap, still struggling to take a breath. “Just breathe.” 

“I’m not very strong, am I?” she managed to whisper after a good while of trying to steady her breathing. “Someone not liking me sends me into a panic attack.”

“Stop it,” Jughead said softly. “You’re one of the strongest people I know,” he insisted. “What you’ve gone through, what you’ve had to deal with and to come out the other side kind and gentle and always thinking of others first and rising up and getting strong and determined and not letting anyone hold you back, you are definitely strong. Your mind and heart just need to heal Betty and you’re taking steps to do that as well.”

“I don’t want her to hate me,” she whispered.

“Her mind needs to heal as well,” he replied, placing a kiss on her temple. Jughead cupped her face and gently pulled her face back from his chest to look at her. “Jellybean was left for dead and she is traumatized by it and can’t disassociate you from Chic at the moment and its causing her to lash out, although she did apologize and promised to be civil now. You suffer differently because you spent years being mentally and psychologically abused as well as physically and it’s going to take a lot longer to rid yourself of those demons. After all that time of having nobody care about you and then finding yourself a family, only to suddenly have someone not liking you, its triggering you and you shouldn’t beat yourself up because you’re reacting to it. You’ll get through this Betty and in time, your mind will heal. If you keep working on it, I promise you will heal.”

“Have you always been this smart?” she asked tearfully and he chuckled and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. 

“Of course,” he bragged teasingly and she smiled.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” she sighed shakily. Jughead hugged her close and kissed her hair.

“You’d survive because you are strong,” he assured her. “But luckily you don’t have to do it on your own because you _do_ have me and I’m not going anywhere.”

“I don’t understand it half the time,” Betty said wiping at her face. “I am used to feeling anxious but these panic attacks….one minute I’m fine and the next I feel like I’m suffocating. I don’t like it.”

“Things will trigger you,” he reminded her. “The therapist you’re talking to; did she mention anything to you about PTSD?”

“Yeah, she did,” Betty said softly. “Said it was common in situations like mine,” she sighed. “Honestly, I’m a bit of mess. I don’t know why you love me,” she said disgruntled.

“Well who doesn’t love a good mess?” he teased.

“Shut up,” she muttered but he felt her smile against his neck and he laughed softly. “Thank you,” she whispered. “And I’m sorry I keep breaking down on you.”

“Hey, don’t ever apologize for that,” Jughead ordered. “I’m surprised it doesn’t happen more. You’re stronger than you think, Betty.” She pulled back and looked at him and he smiled gently.

“Do you have a lot to do today?” she asked.

“Nothing that can’t be handled by somebody else.”

“Can we just go upstairs and lay in bed together? I don’t mean to….i just want you to hold me and maybe I can take a nap. I’m really tired.”

“Oh course,” Jughead said softly, shifting to stand and helping her up. Archie had left them alone and was waiting in the hall as they left the room.

“You’ll be alright here the rest of the day? She’ll join you again tomorrow.”

“All good, take care of her,” Archie said softly. When they got inside the apartment, Jughead swept her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom.

“I can walk,” she sighed, even as she wrapped her arms around him and cuddled close.

“I like holding you,” he smiled as he laid her gently on the bed before crawling in next to her and pulling her close. She was asleep minutes later and he just watched her sleep until his own eyes closed.

 

 

A couple of days later, Jughead was going over Fang’s plans for the benefit to make sure they were all set to get past the security.

“What about this area right here? If you cut the sensors and the camera shuts off, will they notice it in their security room?” he asked.

“No because I’m going to put it on a loop. The screen might have a slight flutter but I doubt they are paid enough to notice. It will look like clear footage for an hour before the real one clicks in. If we run into trouble and I have to loop it again, I will,” Fangs explained. “The problem is here,” he said, pointing to an area in the basement near the safes. “If Archie and Betty pass this corner, they have to wait at least 10 seconds while I bypass the laser security they have across the halls and they have to wait 10 seconds between each point.”

“I’ll be with them,” Jughead informed him.

“Actually,” Fangs sighed. “You can’t. There isn’t enough room between the lasers for three people. You’ll have to wait at the entry point to the corridor while they maneuver themselves down the hall.”

“Fangs…”

“I’m sorry Jug, you’re going to have to stand back while they do it. I can’t shut the lasers down all at once. I have to go one at a time. They’ll be okay,” his friend said softly. “I’ll be watching from all angles and nobody will get near you guys without me knowing.” Archie hurried into the room just then, looking at his phone.

“Jug, I just got a text from Reggie. He wants us to meet him at an old Serpent exchange spot. Under the east bridge.”

“What the hell? Why?” Jughead asked in surprise. “We haven’t been to that place in like 10 years.”

“I don’t know, do you trust him?” Archie asked. “We haven’t heard from him in a week.” Jughead thought for a minute and then turned to Fangs. 

“We’ll go in the surveillance van. I want you to scout the area and make sure he’s alone.”

“Yeah, sure, give me a minute and I’ll be down in the garage in 5.”

Archie, Jughead and Fangs were soon heading through the tunnels to their surveillance van in the other building. Since it was just the three of them, they ran, making the mile in less than 10 minutes and were soon on their way. The bridge was a good half hour away and when they got within range for Fangs to hack into camera’s around the area he did a thorough search and decided the coast was clear. There wasn’t much to see as the bridge was outside the heart of the city and the area wasn’t very populated. Mostly old factories, some that had been vacant for years. 

“Most of these old cameras aren’t even working so from what little I can gather, the coast is clear. I’m pretty sure he’s alone,” Fangs said with a shrug. “It’s your call Jughead. This is a bit of blind run.”

“What do you think?” Jughead asked Archie. Archie pulled the van over where they could see under the bridge and not be seen and they saw Reggie standing, leaning against an old car and he appeared to be alone.

“I don’t know man. Do you trust him? I mean, I do, sort of, but not completely.”

“I say we go in but we take weapons. No way I’m meeting an associate of Chic Cooper under a fucking bridge without protection. I don’t care if he has been cooperating.” Fangs grabbed the case that was stashed behind some equipment and unlocked it and handed them each a glock and they checked them, made sure they were good to go and tucked them into their jeans behind their back. Archie drove the van up under the bridge and parked behind the car and turned off the ignition.

“Want me to join you?” Fangs asked.

“No, sit tight but sit in the driver’s seat in case we need to bail.” They got out and walked over to Reggie who looked incredibly nervous and agitated. Jughead shared a glance with Archie and he double checked to make sure his weapon was in easy reach.

“What’s with the secluded meeting place, Mantle,” Jughead asked, taking an irritated stance in front of him, arms folded over his chest. “You trying to pull one over on us.”

“No, I just wanted to make sure nobody would see,” Reggie said quickly, running his hand through his hair.

“Why?”

“Because Chic is at the clubhouse building.” Jughead dropped his arms and clenched his fists, taking a step toward him.

“What?” he asked, his voice low and deadly. “He’s there now?”

“Not right now, but he will be at some point today. He just comes and goes.”

“Well, why the fuck are we here then?” Jughead snapped. “We could be waiting for the bastard.”

“No, Jug, we can’t,” Archie reminded him. “We have to do the heist first. That was the deal with the feds and if we kill him and his associates catch wind of it then we could blow this whole fucking thing.”

“There’s something else…” Reggie said nervously, his eyes darting around. “I want your protection and a promise to get me out.”

“Why would we do that?” 

“So I don’t turn you over to Chic.”

“Excuse me?” Jughead laughed. “Are you fucking threatening me?” he growled, stepping closer and glowering down at the man.

“Chic put me in charge of finding out who you are and where to find you. He doubled his reward offer if I find you,” Reggie explained.

“Wow, must be tempting,” Archie laughed.

“Look, I haven’t said shit and I don’t plan on it,” Reggie snapped. “But I want out of this shit and yeah, I’m using what I know for leverage. When this is over, I want out. I don’t want to go down with the rest of them, I want you to help me get away. Agree to my terms and I’ll give you the other info I know.”

“You slimy little fucker,” Jughead growled, his hand inching for the gun. 

“Jug.” The warning and rebuke from Archie was soft and subtle but Jughead moved his hand away.

“What exactly do you mean by getting you out?” 

“Just make sure I don’t end up dead or in prison. Get me out of New York. I don’t care, just get me away from here.”

“You could do that with the large amount of money Chic is promising,” Jughead said slowly. “Why won’t you take it?”

“Because, despite the fact that your father threw me out for stealing, I have no issue with you Jughead and when I was part of the Serpents, we were friends and because Chic Cooper is a sick mother fucker and there isn’t enough money in the world that would make me help him,” Reggie said firmly.

“Wow, I’m impressed,” Archie retorted.

“Alright, you have a deal. You keep Chic from knowing who I am, keep feeding us info and when this is over, I’ll get you out of New York. Maybe I’ll even throw you some money to help you get started,” Jughead shrugged. “Now, what else do you have for me.”

“Whoever told Chic about you, it’s a Serpent. Chic got this yesterday. It came by courier and I have no idea how this person even knows where to find Chic, but they must be running with some circles that aren’t Serpents and clearly they aren’t giving away where you live since whoever this is lives there too, but you have a traitor.” Reggie handed Jughead a photo and he felt his blood begin to boil with rage.

“Mother fucker,” he gasped. Archie grabbed it and looked at it.

“What the hell?”

It was a picture of Jughead with Betty on the roof the night of Jellybean’s party. She was straddling his lap and they were locked in a kiss. It was literally a photo of them during the most intimate moment they’d ever had. Their _I love you’s_. Someone had taken a picture of them right before they had made love and Jughead was furious. How many more pictures had been taken? Someone had violated their most private moment. 

“I have to say, when he opened the package and looked at the picture, he went into a fucking rage. He shot the guy who gave him the package. Like, just fucking shot him. Then one of the guys managed to look and since the last time anyone saw her, well, you remember what she looked like, the guy said, wow, who knew she was so hot and Chic shot him too.”

“When was this?” Archie asked Jughead, motioning to the picture.

“The night of Jellybean’s party. I had just….I had just told her that I loved her. Then we…seriously, what the fuck? Someone was watching?!”

“Not to be inappropriate but it’s not hard to guess what’s happening there and I’ve never seen Chic so furious,” Reggie said slowly.

“We need to get back home and check the footage. We have cameras in the stairwell, right?” Archie asked.

“Yeah, we do,” Jughead said angrily. He turned to Reggie. “We’ll help you, you just keep bringing us whatever you find and if this fucking traitor ever shows his face, I want to know who it is.”

“Absolutely,” Reggie nodded quickly. Archie and Jughead turned to go and Reggie touched his arm and he paused. “She looks good…I mean….like you’re taking care of her. I’m glad.” Jughead wasn’t sure exactly how to respond to that so he just nodded and kept walking. 

He didn’t say anything on the way home, literally shaking with rage and Archie filled Fangs in and then they just sat quietly for a while, insure of what to say.

“We’ll get whoever it is,” Archie said softly. “I’m guessing that what’s going on in that picture went a little…”

“Yeah, all the way further,” Jughead sighed. “Jesus Christ, did this sick fucker watch? Take pictures? Whoever it is, they’re fucking dead.”

By the time they got back to the building, Jughead was in the kind of rage that Archie knew would take a while to wear off. Like a few hours beating the hell out of something in the gym kind of rage. They headed straight to the camera room and ordered everyone out and Jughead found the time frame where someone would have come up to the roof and checked the cameras. He reared back in shock. 

“They turned the cameras off?” he fumed. 

“For at least an hour by the looks of things,” Fangs noted, going through the footage.

“Who was in the security room? Usually it’s empty because we turn on all the motion sensors and alarms. There isn’t any need for eyes as we’ll hear if there’s an intruder.” 

“Okay, look here,” Fangs pointed to the screen of the hallway to security. It was dark and whoever it was was counting on that and had worn all black and stayed in the shadows and avoided direct contact with the camera. 

“Fuck,” Jughead sighed wearily. “We got nothing. I have no idea who that could be. He moves like a god damn shadow. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think it was me.”

“Well, we can’t even tell the body type with this. Whoever it is, they know what they’re doing and they’ve been paying attention,” Archie observed. Jughead sank into a chair and lowered his head into his hands and let out a long sigh. “Hey, don’t do that, we’ll get this guy.”

“How?” Jughead asked, lifting his head. “We have no idea who it is and if we start questioning people, he’ll take off. How can I protect my family like this? We have a traitor under this roof. Like right fucking now, we have a god damned traitor under the roof!” he snapped, standing up and sending his chair flying. He was about to grab some shit to throw and Archie grabbed him and shoved him gently against the door. 

“Calm down Jughead. This isn’t going to help and you need to go let Betty know what’s happening. She deserves to know. Her privacy was violated too. Tomorrow we decide who’s in on this and who isn’t. We keep the group small and we make sure nobody but the inner circle knows the plans from now on, alright.”

“Yeah, okay,” Jughead said, trying to control his anger. He did need to talk to Betty and he had to make sure he wasn’t a raging lunatic when he did it. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow. I want you guys in my apartment at 7:00am, I don’t trust this building anymore and that pisses me the fuck off. I’ll text who I want there.” Archie nodded and Jughead headed upstairs.

 

Betty was sitting on the couch when Jughead walked in and she noticed immediately that he was agitated. She put down her book and stood, walking over to him as he kicked off his boots.

“Is everything alright?” she asked softly and let out a gasp of surprise when he grabbed her in a fierce hug, holding her tightly. She looked at him curiously when he pulled back, her hand touching his cheek. “You good?” 

“Yeah, I’m just….Betty there are some things I need to tell you,” Jughead said quietly, swallowing almost nervously.

“Uh oh,” she managed. “That doesn’t sound good.” She stepped back and clasped her hands together and he took them both in his own and led her to the couch. They sat down and she studied his face anxiously. “Jug, you’re scaring me,” she whispered when she saw his apprehension.

“I’ve had a bad fucking day and there are things you need to know and I’m just scared about how it will affect you,” he started.

“Okay…”

“Okay, first; I forgot to tell you this the night of JB’s party because…well we were a little busy,” he sighed. “Penny Peabody is dead.” Betty blinked, her stomach suddenly clenching. The woman who had caused her so much pain was dead.

“Did….did you kill her?” she managed.

“No, it wasn’t me. The feds showed up at the party on Saturday and someone had called in a body dump. They’re pretty sure Chic killed her,” he said quietly. Betty nodded, twisting her hands together on her lap, feeling slightly overwhelmed that suddenly one of the things she had been so afraid of was gone. “Betty…” She lifted her eyes to him and saw the gentle concern in his gaze and burst into tears. He pulled her onto his lap and held her close while she cried against his neck. “It’s okay, love,” he whispered against her hair. Betty shuddered and wrapped her arms around his neck, breathing him in, letting his strength seep into her.

“Is it wrong to feel happy,” she asked in a tearful whisper. “To be happy that the world no longer has such an evil women in it?”

“It’s not wrong,” he assured her as he stroked her hair. “Is that why you’re crying? You feel bad for being happy?”

“No,” she shook her head. “It’s mostly relief.”

“Yeah, I get that,” he smiled. “One less person I have to worry about.” He held her for a while and then took a deep breath and eased her back. “There’s something else,” he said quietly. 

“It sounds like it might not be such good news,” Betty said, her chin quivering.

“Remember how I told you that we have someone inside your brother’s circle who is giving us information?”

“Yeah…”

“We have a traitor,” Jughead said slowly.

“I don’t understand.”

“Someone in the Serpents, in this building, is a traitor and feeding your brother information about me and my contact earlier gave me this and said it was delivered to Chic by courier.” Jughead held up his phone and she looked at the screenshot and she suddenly felt like retreating within herself and her stomach started to turn. She tore her gaze away from the intimate photo of them, her eyes going wide as she looked at him.

“Jug?” she managed in horror.

“Someone took a picture of us right after I told you that I loved you.”

“You locked the door,” she managed to gasp.

“It has a small window,” he sighed.

“Jug, we…..this is right before we….”

“Right before we made love,” he finished for her. “It’s completely possible that whoever it was watched and took more photos or even recorded it,” he finished, his voice sounding caught somewhere between fury and worry.

“I’m supposed to be safe here,” she whispered, trying to scramble off his lap but he held her still, his arms gently wrapped around her. She searched his face, her eyes filling with tears again.

“Betty I won’t let anything happen to you, I swear on my life. I will be with you as much as I possibly can until we figure out who it is and if I can’t be, I will assign someone but you will not be left alone. Not ever.”

“It’s not just me, Jughead,” she cried, her tears spilling over. “Everybody is in danger. If my brother finds out where we live. The Serpents are in danger. I’m putting everyone in danger.”

“Stop, this isn’t on you.”

“But if I go somewhere else then Chic would never come after me here….” She said frantically, her mind swirling and trying to come up with something. “I can leave and…”

“Betty stop it,” Jughead said firmly, giving her a little shake. She blinked and stared at him and then shook her head. “He’s after me too, Betty. In fact, I’m the one he wants to kill and whether you are here or not, he’d still come after me.”

“I’ve brought nothing but trouble,” she whispered in anguish.

“ _He_ brought the trouble. Even if I hadn’t taken you, I’d still be hunting him and he would be trying to end me so that he doesn’t end up dead. You’re unfortunately just caught in the middle and I’m so sorry. None of this is because of you, please believe that,” Jughead said softly, wiping her tears with his fingers.

“He’s going to be so angry,” she choked out. “When he sees this picture.”

“Yeah, that’s what my contact said. Your brother…”

“What? Tell me the truth.”

“He shot two people in his rage,” Jughead said quietly.

“Were they bad people?” she whispered.

“The person who brought him the envelope and one other guy who made a comment on how good you looked,” he explained.

“The delivery person?” she asked in horror.

“No, just the guy who got the package from the courier service, so both his men.”

“Well, I don’t know how to feel about that,” she sniffed. “I just….the other night on the roof; it was so special Jughead. It was the most amazing night of my life and now it just….it feels….”

“I know baby,” he whispered, pulling her close, her forehead lowering to rest on his. “I’m so sorry, Betty. It was the most amazing night of my life too,” he confessed. “It was terrifying and freeing to tell you that I loved you and now it….i understand how you feel.” Betty lifted her hands and touched his face, feeling the stubble she had grown to love so much.

“I love you,” she whispered. “It was still an amazing night and I wish with all my heart that someone hadn’t invaded our privacy and I’m scared now but I love you and I know you’ll keep me safe.”

“I promise I will,” he said firmly. She nodded and he kissed her and she sank into him, using every ounce of her mental ability to block out the fact that her brother had seen her in an intimate moment with the man she loved and that he was trying to find them. For the moment, Jughead’s gentle hands and soft kiss helped her forget.

 

 

The following morning, Jughead stood next to the window and lit a cigarette as he gazed at the group gathered in his living room. Archie, Betty, Sweet Pea, Fangs, Toni and Cheryl. They all looked at him expectantly.

“As of right now, you six are the only people in this building that I trust. There are a couple of others but you guys are the only ones from now on that will have any information on anything. I know we’ve kept that heist quiet and nobody else knows what we’re doing, but now we really need to keep it that way. Nobody mentions that we’re working it for the feds and nobody says when it is or where it is. Is that clear?”

“Got it,” Pea said as he leaned against the fire place mantel. “Nobody really cares anyway, as far as I can tell. I mean we’re the team that brings in the money and they just reap the benefits and they aren’t that concerned with how it’s done.”

“Yes, well, we have a traitor watching us and whoever it is, they’re feeding information to Chic and if he finds out we’re going to be attending the benefit at one of his associates, you can bet your ass we’d be walking into a trap.”

“Wait…” Betty said slowly. “I know you said you’re recovering something for the FBI, but if this is at the place of someone Chic knows, what if he’s there?” she asked in horror. Jughead snuffed out his smoke and walked over to her and took her hands. 

“He won’t be,” he assured her. “The feds would have told us.”

“Are you sure?” 

“I’m sure,” he said firmly. “They know I’d kill him the instant I saw him and they wouldn’t risk that.” She just nodded but she still seemed apprehensive. “If you don’t want to..”

“No, no, I’m still going,” she insisted. “Someone has to watch your back.” He smiled and let out a chuckle. 

“Glad for the help,” he said softly. He turned back to the group. “So, nobody talks about this and we watch our backs and nobody goes anywhere alone. Understood?”

“Understood,” came the unison reply.

 

 

It was a whirlwind. Betty was astonished how the group pulled together their plans and got ready for the night of the heist and how everything that had been giving trouble all seemed to fall into place just in time. They had a meeting off property with federal agents who would be at the heist as well and everything was planned. They were ready. It was time.

“You look amazing,” Cheryl said with a smile as she fastened the diamond bracelet back on her wrist. “By the way, Jughead told me you’re trying to pretend he didn’t give this to you and you’re trying to return it to the vault. It’s yours Betty, nobody will ever wear it again but you.” 

“He’s very persistent,” Betty laughed. The jewels sparkled on her wrist and Cheryl added more diamonds around her neck, ears and the other wrist. 

“Can’t forget this, Mrs. Foster,” the red head smirked as she took Betty’s hand.

“Mrs. Foster?”

“You are Emily Foster tonight and Jughead is Michael Foster.”

“Why don’t you let me do that,” Jughead said softly as he came down the hall. Betty lost her breath as she looked at him. Jughead in a suit was handsome. Jughead in a tux was devastating. 

“Holy shit, you look hot,” she blurted and Cheryl started to laugh when Jughead actually flushed. “I’m sorry but _fuck,_ ” Betty exclaimed. 

“Can you give us a minute,” he said glancing at Cheryl and she smirked, handing him the last bit of jewelry and left the apartment. “You look stunning yourself,” he said softly, his eyes slowly raking her from top to bottom and back up. She was in a cream colored bejeweled gown and she felt like a million dollars if she was going to be honest. It was clear this benefit was vastly more sophisticated than the party they had attended. The entire group was decked out, even Fangs who would be on surveillance was in a tux in case he was needed.

“You ready?” he asked softly, his finger brushing a curl off her cheek. 

“I am,” she smiled, even though she was incredibly nervous. “Are we not going through the tunnels tonight?” 

“Not tonight. Even if we’re seen leaving, nobody knows where we’re going and security is going to let me know if anyone else leaves the building.” Jughead picked up her hand and she watched as he slowly slid the wedding set on her finger, the diamond sparkling up at her. He stood for a moment and just looked at it on her finger and she curled her fingers through his and gripped him, and he lifted his eyes to hers. “You’re so beautiful,” he said, a slight tremor in his voice.

“I wish we could just…I wish none of this was happening and we could spend the evening going somewhere where we weren’t in danger and where we didn’t have to lie about who we are,” she said softly, her fingers trailing along his jaw. “You are so incredibly handsome.”

“How about after we finish tonight, me and you find a hotel with amazing room service and I peel that dress off of you and I make love to you all night long?” he suggested in a gruff voice. Betty shivered at the picture he painted.

“That sounds amazing,” she smiled, touching his lips. “We best get this done then because now all I want to do, even though you look so ridiculously good in it, is get you out of that tux.” Jughead grinned and walked over to the island and picked up a white intricate eye mask. “What’s that for?” she asked.

“Well, lucky for us, this benefit is a masquerade ball and we won’t be recognized by anyone,” he explained, handing it to her. “We’ll put them on when we get there.” He held out his hand and she took it. “Shall we go, beautiful?”

“Lead the way, handsome.”


	21. Move and Mingle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy my heist. I really have no clue about these things so pretend I do. Haha

When they entered the garage, Betty was surprised to see the red Ferrari waiting for them and she paused and looked at Jughead. 

“Wait, we aren’t taking the limo?”

“Not tonight,” he smiled, opening the door for her. He held out his hand and she took it as she lowered herself into the seat and he helped her get her dress in before he closed the door and moved around to the driver’s side. He got in and she smiled as her eyes traveled over him. 

“I have to say, this car looks good on you,” she sighed, biting her lip. He looked at her and his eyes wandered over her as well and she held her breath when they paused on her chest, the swell of her breasts that the dress showed. 

“We ready to go?” Archie’s voice came through the COM system in the car and Jughead hit the button.

“Give me a minute,” he said before switching it off. He reached over and took Betty’s hand and lifted it to his mouth and kissed it softly. “You look so damn beautiful, it’s hard to look at you without wanting to carry you to bed,” he admitted. “But we have to be careful tonight Betty. I know the last party was fun and we flirted and fooled around a lot but tonight the stakes are much higher and we can’t let down our guard. Not even for a second. I couldn’t take it if something happened to you.”

“I understand,” she nodded with a smile. “All flirting now done until the job is finished.”

“Well,” he smirked. “We do still have a 40 minute drive until we get there.”

“I need to practice,” she insisted. “So, no flirting.” Jughead wrapped his hand around the back of her head and pulled her close, giving her a lusty kiss before pulling away to starting the car and turning the COMs back on. 

“Let’s roll, guys,” he said with a grin as Betty sank into her seat. She glared at him, her hand on her chest. After they left the property, Betty realized they were the only ones in in a car and the rest were in a limo.

“Why are we going in the Ferrari and not the Limo? Won’t we stand out this way?” she asked curiously. 

“Well, we’re on the list as oil heirs and therefore, we have to show up in money.”

“But what if something goes wrong and they see us leave in the car or something?” she worried.

“Don’t worry, in a couple of days this car will be black and the plates will be different.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“It’s a special paint that can be pressure washed off. We’ll hose it down tomorrow and it’ll be back to black.”

“This whole time it’s been sitting in the garage and I thought it was really red.”

“Well, it is red, or black, or whatever,” Jughead smiled. “It doesn’t come off in the rain, it needs a pretty strong pressure washer.”

“Wait, I think I saw this once in a movie,” Betty mentioned. “I think Bruce Willis and what’s his name?”

“Richard Gere?”

“Yes,” she laughed. 

“The Jackel,” Jughead nodded. “Good movie.”

“Yeah, it was. You guys get a lot of your ideas from movies?” she asked.

“Well, when we found out that we really could get paint like that, we were pretty thrilled,” he shrugged. “It helps a lot to be able to stay hidden.”

“Well, it’s cool,” she smiled. Betty took a deep breath and settled back, watching the city. She twirled the diamond ring on her finger nervously, feeling herself getting more anxious the closer they got. Jughead reached for her hand again and laced his fingers through hers, squeezing gently.

“It’ll be alright,” he said softly. “We ran over it so many times it will be like second nature when you do it. You’ll be great Betty.” 

“Hope so,” she sighed. She looked out the window again then to their entwined hands, the sparkle of the diamond ring holding her gaze. “Do you believe in marriage?” she asked softly. He looked at her in surprise, then down at the ring before glancing back at the road.

“I don’t know, I haven’t thought about it really,” he shrugged. “I mean, up until a few months ago I was determined to never love anybody,” he added with a laugh.

“Sorry, ignore me,” she murmured.

“Well, it’s a beautiful ring,” he smiled. “Why are you asking?” he asked when she went quiet again.

“Not sure really,” she said with a soft laugh. “I’ve worn this ring twice now and both times it was while pretending to be someone I’m not. Maybe I’m just wondering if the real me will ever wear one,” she said casually, her voice not giving any indication that she was upset.

“Hey guys, before we’re all subject to a proposal, try to remember COMs are on,” Cheryl’s soft voice came through the sound system. Betty flushed red; she had completely forgotten.

“Oh, sorry,” she grimaced. “I was just thinking out loud.”

“No worries,” Toni laughed. “I’d wonder about marriage too if I was wearing that 5 caret diamond.”

“Holy shit, 5 carets?” Betty exclaimed, lifting her hand to look at it.

“If you ever wear one Betty,” Pea chimed in. “I hope it’s a new one because that ring has been on a lot of fingers.” Laughter filled the car and Betty smiled. These people were her family now and she loved them and whatever she had to do to protect them, she would do it.

When they showed up at the Amelin mansion, Betty was awe. She stared at the huge home as their car slowly circled the enormous drive that wound around a large central fountain, in line behind several others. She looked around and felt her anxiety kick up a notch at all the lights and security personnel milling around. There were people walking up to the front doors and every gown was elegant and shimmered in the light.

“Alright guys, ear COMs on and it’s all business now. Focus, listen to direction and if anybody or anything feels odd or out of place, speak it out immediately and everyone halts until further instruction to continue,” Jughead said, his voice firm and filled with authority. “Clear?”

“Clear.” After the confirmation he switched off the car COM and turned to Betty as the car inched forward. 

“You ready, hon?” he asked softly. She smiled at his endearment and nodded.

“I’m nervous but I’m ready.”

“Nervous is good. It keeps you on your toes and you don’t screw up.” He handed her the mask and she put it on. A beautiful feather and crystal creation that settled around her eyes, framing them, the feathers standing up at attention and the twinkling crystals drawing attention to their stunning green. His was a basic black mask that fit over the upper half of his face and she bit her lip and grinned. His eyes were even more blue with the mask.

“You look very handsome,” she giggled and he laughed and winked.

“Your eyes are stunning and I’m afraid they might draw more attention than I want on you,” he admitted. He touched her face and pulled her close, kissing her softly. “All good?”

“Let’s do this,” she said firmly. They pulled up next in line and as soon as he pulled the car to a stop, his door was opened and he got out and walked around to her side as they pulled her door open and Jughead was there to help and she placed her perfectly manicured hand in his and lifted herself gracefully out of the car. Someone climbed in the car to go park it and Betty rested her hand in the crook of Jughead’s arm as they walked toward the front door.

“Are the rest on the invite list?” she asked nervously, her fingers digging in.

“Yes we are but we’re small potatoes,” Cheryl chuckled into her ear piece. “Not sure how Keller managed to pull it off but we all got an invite. You two are the big oil tycoons or something and we’re just lawyers and whatever the hell, but it got us in so it’s all good.”

“Okay, that’s good,” Betty said quickly as they neared the door. 

“Betty?” Archie’s voice came through the COM.

“Yes?”

“We’re extremely good at what we do.”

“They can sense you’re nervous,” Jughead said with a soft smile. “About to go in guys,” he murmured softly and everyone went silent. The people at the door smiled brightly and Jughead handed his fancy invitation to them and they checked their list on the tablet they were holding and after only a moment, the velvet rope strung across the door was lifted and they were ushered inside.

“Enjoy your evening Mr and Mrs Foster,” the woman smiled. “And please, give generously.” Betty smiled and nodded as Jughead lead her inside. They followed the other couples, all dressed in sensational gowns, tuxes and masks and soon found themselves at the top of grand marble staircase down into a ballroom. Betty paused and gasped.

“Oh my gosh,” she whispered in awe. After being with the Serpents for three months, Betty knew what rich was. They were rich and had no need for anything. The party for the rubies had screamed rich money at a slightly higher level than the Serpents, but this; this was on another level. This was wealth beyond Betty’s comprehension. 

It was a palace. A brilliant marble palace. The place shone and sparkled with chandeliers that hung down into the ballroom and sported thousands of twinkling crystals. An orchestra was set up on one side and it almost seemed like Betty could feel the music weaving in and out of the majestic columns that surrounded the ballroom and around the waltzing couples. Waiters with champagne seemed to be everywhere, as well as trays being carried of finger food that looked too fancy to eat. She was even afraid to touch the marble of the wide staircase railing. 

“This is a benefit for kids, right?” she asked.

“Supposedly,” Jughead said as they headed down the stairs. He was careful to guide her as she had to hold up her dress a little so she didn’t trip. “Your heels are sexy as fuck,” he commented. She glanced down at the silver stilettos and let out a laugh.

“No flirting guys,” Archie’s voice came through their COMs as a gentle reminder.

“Sorry,” Betty said with a flush. “You know, if they need money for kids, why don’t they just sell one of these chandeliers. One of them is probably worth thousands.”

“Funny you should say that,” Cheryl said in the ear piece. “Those happen to be Maria Thersea Empire Chandeliers. The smaller ones that would go in much smaller places go for around eighty thousand, these are 5 times the size and I can’t even guess what they’re worth.”

“Jesus,” Betty breathed. “I’d have a hard time paying eighty dollars for lighting, never mind eighty thousand.” Jughead laughed beside her.

“Well, don’t ask Jughead what he paid for the one in his living room,” Toni chimed in, the smirk clear in her voice. Betty glanced at him and he rolled his eyes.

“Alright guys, mingle and make your way to your positions,” he ordered. They made it to the bottom of the stairs and Jughead stopped with the formal pose and dropped his arm, taking her hand in his as they walked slowly around the room. He directed her around some people and over to the enormous fountain that took center stage in the middle of the room. It was stunning and Betty could have watched the water dance all evening.

“Alright, when you guys get in here, Pea meet us at the fountain and Archie you make your way to you work point. Cheryl and Toni, I’m going to need you to mingle and get info from these people. As much as you can. When the speeches and asking for money starts, how long the benefit is supposed to go, who the high rollers are. I mean we already basically know from our own digging but I need to know who they are and if they are attending. Once the speeches begin, Archie, Pea, Betty and I will make our way to the safes.”

“We’ll provide distraction if you need it,” Toni confirmed.

“Don’t take your dress off,” Archie laughed.

“That happened one time!” she sighed and Betty let out a giggle.

“What?”

“Nevermind,” Toni grumbled in her ear and Jughead bit back a smile.

“I’ll tell you later,” he offered and Betty smiled.

“You’re an ass, Jones,” Toni bit back. A few minutes later, Sweet Pea walked up to them.

“You look quite dashing,” Betty smiled.

“As do you,” he replied and lifted her hand to kiss the back of it, bowing over it and she bit back a laugh.

“If only everyone who can see this would know that yesterday you were cussing for a minute straight because you lost a program on your computer,” she teased.

“Hey, I can be a gentleman,” he chuckled. He turned to Jughead who was busy scanning the room.

“You still good with the plan?” he asked.

“Don’t worry, the feds won’t be getting the list until we’re ready to give it to them.”

“We’re….not giving them the list?” Betty asked in confusion. She had mostly concentrated on figuring out the safe and really had no idea what the plan was beyond get into the safe and get out.

“We’re giving them the list, just not the one they’re expecting. By then we’ll have the information that we want and then they can have it,” Jughead explained.

“What’s on this list anyway?” she asked curiously.

“All your brother’s associates and all the horrible shit they’ve done,” Pea said.

“So this room has a lot of bad people in it? At a benefit for children?” Betty was appalled.

“Yeah, makes you a little nauseated, doesn’t it,” Pea muttered. “I’d place all my money on the funds collected not making it to any needy kids.”

“Fangs, how’re you doing?” Jughead asked quietly.

“I’m in,” Fangs replied on COMs. “I have access to all the cameras and security and I have the list of agents and their positions from what Keller gave me. Here’s hoping he isn’t fucking with us. I have alternate exits if shit goes south on us, but hopefully we won’t need them.”

“Is Agent Keller here?” Betty asked.

“Yeah right,” Jughead laughed. “He doesn’t do the dirty work.”

“Jug, there is a champagne tray coming your way, that’s an agent.” They all turned as the man walked up to them and Betty could tell immediately that he wasn’t just wait staff. His eyes were roaming far too much. They took a flute of the drink and Betty smiled at him.

“You look too shifty,” she murmured. “If anyone is paying attention, they’ll notice.” Jughead let out a chuckle and the man’s eyes widened and he quickly relaxed his stance.

“Sorry, first time doing one of these,” he murmured.

“Figures,” Jughead sighed. “Don’t fuck this up,” he ordered.

“I’m just here to mingle and get the hardware when you’re done. We’ll be handing it around the room several times before getting it out.”

“I’m not handing off the list in here,” Jughead said firmly. “I don’t trust you to get past security and the scanners at the door. We do the exchanged outside.”

“Well, how are you going to get it out?” the agent asked.

“Leave that up to me,” Jughead said with a smile and the agent nodded and walked away.

“How _are_ you going to get it out?” Betty asked.

“One of my pockets is lined with a material that an x-ray scanner can’t get through,” he explained.

“Of course it is,” she laughed. Nothing surprised her anymore with these guys. They definitely knew what they were doing.

“Alright, break and mingle for a bit, keep your face friendly, the masks bring attention directly to the eyes so try not to seem shifty or like you’re studying things you shouldn’t be studying, talk to people, act like you’re going to drop a pound of cash and Cheryl, if you’re going to steal something, make sure you can hide it in that gown and not wear it like the last time.”

“Why you gotta spoil my fun?” Cheryl sighed and Betty chuckled. Serious heist or not, the group certainly knew how to have fun and do what they could to keep their mind off of things.

“We don’t need an alarm going off because some rich snob is missing some diamonds; so if you’re going to lift something, make sure it won’t be missed,” Jughead requested. They were circling the room and Betty studied the people and while they were covered in jewels and wealth, with brilliant smiles plastered on their faces, she wondered if any of them were truly happy. The Serpents had money and while their way of getting it wasn’t exactly legit, they had it but they didn’t let it define them. They were family and as far as she could tell, with the exception of a couple, they were all happy and had been since before they had money.

“Your gown is sensational,” a voice to their left said and Betty turned to find an older woman with piercing gray eyes inspecting her gown. Strangely enough, her smile didn’t reach the eyes. She felt Jughead’s hand on her waist and she managed a smile of her own.

“Thank you, very much,” Betty said, giving the woman her full attention.

“May I ask who designed it?”

“Just say Valentino; that always impresses the snobs,” Cheryl murmured in her ear piece.

“Valentino,” Betty said brightly, lifting her glass of champagne to take a sip.

“Well, it’s stunning and your man must be wearing Valentino as well then?” the woman asked with a curious perusal of Jughead, her eyes lingering a little too long on his body. Betty wanted to kick her. 

“Indeed I am,” Jughead said with his most devastating smile as he took her hand and lifted it to kiss the back of it before holding it in both his hands as he stepped closer, invading the woman’s space. Betty raised an eyebrow as she watched her practically swoon in delight.

“Well, aren’t you charming,” the woman said with a sultry laugh as Jughead stepped back with a wink. She pulled a card out of her clutch and handed it to Jughead and gave him a heated stare. “If you ever feel like someone with a few more years and maturity,” she stated, her insult to Betty not masked in any way. The woman turned and walked away and Betty rolled her eyes.

“Christ, I feel like vomiting,” she said, her voice tinged with annoyance.

“Oh, it wasn’t all bad,” Jughead said with a smile as he lifted her hand and clasped an emerald and diamond bracelet to her wrist. She stared at it in surprise as it twinkled between the diamond ones already there.

“Did you…?”

“Steal her bracelet? Why, yes I did,” he chuckled. “Insulting my girl just cost her a few hundred thousand.”

“Well, if you lifted it while holding her hand, you took it before she insulted me,” Betty laughed.

“Same difference,” he winked.

“Seriously? And you lecture me?” Cheryl huffed in the ear piece.

“What if she notices?” Betty asked quickly, wrapping her hand around it to hide it.

“She had 5 on. She won’t notice one’s missing until she takes them off later tonight,” Jughead assured her with a twinkle in his eyes.

“I’m in love with a thief,” Betty sighed. “A very sexy, charming thief, but a thief none the less.”

“Sweetheart, you’re a thief as well, or did you forget the rubies?” Toni laughed in her ear. “And tonight, you’re helping us steal again.”

“We’re not talking about me,” Betty retorted but let out a laugh at the truth of it. “You and Cheryl look amazing, by the way. This is a very sexy team, I must say.”

“Hell yes it is,” Archie responded, the smile in his voice.

“Look alive guys, time to get down to business,” Fangs suddenly spoke into the COMs. 

“What do you have?” Jughead asked, taking Betty’s elbow and guiding her through the crowd. 

“They will begin presentations in 15 minutes. Two guards at the door leading to the lower level that we need to distract so you, Pea, Archie and Betty can get by. They are showing a 10 minutes film about a children’s camp somewhere at the beginning and lights will be dimmed and since most people’s attention will be on the podium, that’s your in.”

“Toni, we’re up,” Cheryl spoke and Betty and Jughead paused in the shadows of the grand staircase. “We didn’t get any other info than what’s already in the files. I didn’t hear any names from the list Keller gave us but I’m sure they’re here.” An announcement was made for people to make their way to the front of the ballroom where the podium was and Jughead pulled Betty further into the dark corner. 

“Archie, Pea, positions?” Jughead spoke quietly.

“Shadows of the north wall. I have eyes on Cheryl and Toni flirting with the security.”

“Cheryl, Toni, get them somewhere and put them out. I need the security key,” Jughead ordered.

“I have two agents waiting to take their uniforms. Take them down to the left and through the third door if you can persuade them,” Fangs instructed. Even though she knew the plan, Betty was still in awe of how they all moved and worked together, everything planned right down to the very last detail. They all waited quietly, listening to Cheryl and Toni on the COMs flirting with the security guards and somehow managing to convince them to show them where the bathroom was.

“Men are so easy,” Betty said with a smirk and Jughead rolled his eyes. 

“Stupid men who only think with their dicks are easy,” he corrected and she bit back a smile. She didn’t remind him that the previous night he himself had only been thinking with that very appendage. “Don’t start,” he muttered, reading her face easily and she stifled a giggle.

“You can continue if you want,” Archie’s voice came over the COMs followed by Sweet Pea’s laughter. “I wanna know what Betty shouldn’t start. Do you have a story about Jughead thinking with his dick because that would be very entertaining and, well, uncharacteristic?”

“Shut the fuck up Archie, or I’ll knock your lights out when I see you,” Jughead grumbled and then Betty had to let out a giggle. They all went silent again and some shuffling around was heard and then Toni’s voice came through.

“Guards down, and should be out for a good hour. Where’s the feds?”

“Just outside the door,” Fangs said. “Knocking now. Archie, the waiter pushing the cart with champagne bottles is a fed. He’s got your bag in the cart and he’ll leave it parked next to the door.”

“Thanks,” Archie replied.

“Alright guys, agents dressed as guards and ready to take their positions. When the lights go down it’s a go,” Cheryl spoke. 

“Fangs, loop the video and cut the live feed as soon as the lights dim.”

“Got it.”

“Cutting COM’s for a minute,” Jughead said as he reached up and clicked his ear piece off, doing the same to Betty. His arm slid around her waist and he pulled her close, resting his forehead against hers. “Okay, it’s get real now and all business and you have to promise me that you’ll be the most careful you’ve ever been in your life,” he whispered. 

“I promise, Jug,” Betty said softly. He dipped his head and kissed her softly, his lips clinging for a few moments before slowly pulling away. “I love you,” she whispered.

“I love you too, now let’s get this thing done, yeah?” he smiled. She nodded and gripped his hand and squared her shoulders. She was ready. They waited a few more minutes and an announcement was made about the video and the lights dimmed.

“Alright, loop on, go guys. Go, go, go,” Fangs spoke quickly and Jughead led Betty around the back of the room sticking to the shadows of the walls until they were in front of the doors guarded now by two federal agents. Archie and Pea joined them and opened the cart standing next to it, pulling the bag and one of the guards handed Jughead the key card that he used to unlock the door and the three slipped through.

“Okay Jug, you guys have 47 minutes to get this done.”

“Toni and Cheryl, good job ladies. Make sure the security guards are well hidden and wait for us near the stairs,” Jughead said.

“You got it, boss,” Toni said. Betty paused once they were through the doors and reached down and pulled off her heels. She left them in the corner in the shadows and flushed when she straightened and found all three guys watching her curiously.

“Well, you know all the sayings, that end in _women can do it in heels_? Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s much easier without them and you’re less likely to break your ankle,” she explained with a shrug as she walked over to them. She stopped right in front of Jughead and smiled up at him.

“You’re suddenly very tiny,” he said as he grinned down at her.

“Why do I have a feeling they’re standing there grinning at each other like idiots and probably look like they’re about to kiss,” Toni’s voice suddenly laughed through the COMs.

“You’d be right,” Archie offered.

“Stop fucking around guys,” Fangs snapped, his voice all serious business. “You now have 44 minutes.” Betty flushed at the rebuke, quickly stepping back as Jughead got serious and let out a sigh.

“Fangs…”

“He’s right,” Betty quickly interrupted. “Let’s get this done.” 

“Alright guys, head down the hall and take the third turn on the left and down the stairs,” Fangs instructed and they headed down immediately. At the bottom of the stairs was a large common area and 5 hallways leading away from it.

“This place is ridiculous,” Betty murmured. Fangs gave the directions and Betty was certainly glad he knew where they were supposed to go and how to get back because she decided a person could get lost down here and starve to death.

“Left until the first intersection…….turn right just ahead…..6th door on the left….down the second flight of stairs…..turn left….4th door on the left…..through the second door…..”

“What the fuck?” Jughead sighed. “What is this place and who needs this much fucking space?”

“Turn left at the next turn and ….stop….” Fangs ordered. They halted and waited. “Two people coming at you from the right. Look like security. The room beside you is empty, duck in there for a minute.” They quickly did as he ordered and quietly closed the door. Jughead wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him, his finger to his lips in a motion to be as quiet as possible. Betty’s heart was racing and she leaned against him, breathing in his scent and letting the feel of his strong body calm her. A pair of voices came closer and passed and after a moment Fangs gave the go signal and they continued.

“Alright, turn left and then hold your positions,” he said and once they had stopped, Archie looked around and realized where they were and opened his bag and pulled out three pairs of what looked like night vision goggles.

“Are we cutting the lights?” Betty asked. 

“Nope, put them on and have a look,” Jughead told her and she pulled off her mask and handed it to Jughead and did as he asked and let out a gasp. The hallway was crisscrossed with a couple dozen laser beams.

“Oh crap,” she muttered, realizing they would have to go through them, somehow. She turned to Archie and he smiled at her. 

“Ready?”

“How are we going through this? I don’t recall practicing any crazy _Entrapment Movie_ crap to do this.”

“It’s alright, Fangs will guide you guys through it. He has to shut down the lasers one at a time to the safe door and back,” he explained.

“Wait, you’re not coming?” she asked, her eyes wide as she realized she was leaving him at the end of the hall.

“Well, when we first went over the plans, Fangs didn’t think I’d be able to fit and then we calculated again and realized that yes, I could but then I realized Sweet Pea needed to go and make sure it’s the right info we’re stealing, so I’ll be waiting here for you guys.”

“Okay,” she nodded, even as nervous as she was. She had a job to do and she wasn’t going to let them down.

“Betty, you need to lift your skirt. It can’t drag on the floor because some of the lasers are floor level and if they turn back on and your skirts in the way, we’re fucked,” Fangs said. 

“Oh right, hold on,” she said as she searched around the bottom on her skirt for the small loop sowed in. Once she found it, she found the well hidden button and hooked it on and her skirt was now full in the back and off the floor.

“I’ll never understand women’s clothing,” Archie muttered.

“It’s for dancing and if we get tired of constantly lifting it,” Betty laughed.

“We got company guys,” Fangs suddenly said. “Those two guys are heading back and we need to put them out. Seems like they’re on patrol of the basement.” Archie pulled Betty against the wall with him and Jughead and Pea waited until the men came around the corner and Betty had no idea what the hell they did, but all she saw was their arms go around the men’s necks and then they crumpled to the floor.

“Christ, are they dead?” she gasped.

“No,” Jughead assured her. “Neck pressure point. It’s easy enough to put someone out if you know where it is.” They pulled the men into a room and locked the door. 

“Okay guys, we’re down to 33 minutes so you guys need to move. I don’t want to risk relooping the video because they will notice at some point that there aren’t any security walking around on their monitors. Get in position.” Betty, Pea and Archie secured their glasses and Jughead took his position against the wall as Fangs shut down the first laser. “ _Move_ ,” he said quickly. They moved together and as soon as they were beside the next one, the other one clicked back on.

“Holy shit,” Betty breathed. “Do you mind if I chat while we do this? My heart’s racing.”

“Go ahead hon, just keep your voice to a whisper. Archie, pull her in so she moves with you and doesn’t stumble.” Archie’s arm went around her waist and he pulled her back against his chest and she clutched his arm. 

“Just move when I move,” he instructed and she nodded as once again a laser shut down. As they made their way down the hall, moving like they were one person, Betty started chatting to calm herself.

“Where are you Fangs, exactly?”

“The limo,” he chuckled. “We keep surveillance equipment in here too. _Move_.”

“Nobody knows you’re in there?” she asked as Archie moved them over.

“Nope, tinted windows. _Move_.”

“Cheryl and Toni, you still on COMs?” 

“Right here with you girl,” Cheryl answered softly. “You’re doing great.”

“ _Move_.”

“Jughead?”

“Yeah baby,” he murmured softly.

“ _Move_.”

“Can we get a burger after this?” she asked.

“We sure can,” he chuckled.

“What’s the matter Betty?” Toni laughed. “These pretentious tiny appetizers not doing it for you?”

“No, I’m starving,” Betty sighed.

“ _Move_.”

“Fries too and maybe..”

“Stop,” Fangs said firmly and they all stilled. “Jughead, you have two guys headed your way.”

“Fuck,” Pea muttered as he turned toward Jughead. “We’re screwed if they see us. We can’t fucking move.” Betty wanted to panic but Archie gave her a reassuring squeeze and he didn’t seem at all tense so she just kept her eyes on Jughead who stepped back against the wall and waited.

“I’m telling you, this was the last hall they said they were checking.” They heard the men before they saw them and clearly they were looking for the security guards. As they rounded the corner they stopped in shock as they noticed the three people standing pressed against each other where nobody should have been standing. “What the fuck?” Jughead moved then. So quickly that Betty just froze in surprise as she watched. Before the men could even shout a warning to whoever might have been listening, one was slammed against the wall and sank to the floor and Jughead delivered a knockout punch to the other. Another punch to each of them to ensure they were out and he dragged them to the other two.

“Wow,” she said, impressed.

“Go guys, we need to move,” Fangs spoke again. “We have 26 minutes.” Betty didn’t speak anymore, concentrating on getting to the safe door and finally they were beside it and Archie quickly pulled his equipment and was attaching something that was spinning numbers and after about a minute they fell into sequence and he had a code for the lock. 

“Alright guys, get it done,” Jughead said in encouragement as he shrank into the shadows and disappeared from site. 

“Okay, COMs won’t work in the safes, so make sure you do it just as we timed it,” Fangs said slowly. As soon as you pop the doors I have camera access and I need to shut it down. Open the door.” Archie pulled it open, set the timer on his watch and they headed inside and he pulled it closed behind them. If anyone happened to walk by again, the hallway was empty, Jughead was hidden and all should seem normal to them. 

They hurried to the next door and Archie once again attached his equipment and after a few moments got the code and punched it in. He pulled it open and even though the COMs were down, Fangs would register the open door on his computer and shut down the camera. They waited the 20 seconds they had practiced and hurried through the third door.

“Does Jughead know how to get into safes?” Betty asked as Archie pulled the drill for the last and final door. This was it, the one they had been working on for so long.

“He does,” Pea smiled. “But he does it the old fashioned way, prefers it that way.”

“What’s the old fashioned way?” Betty asked.

“Non digital safes. The kind where you turn the lock a few times to hit the right code. He could do that shit in his sleep he was so good at it. Listening for the clicks. Never missed.”

“He didn’t want to learn how to do this?”

“Well, he can, but he doesn’t think it’s very thrilling to attach a device and wait for it to unscramble the code,” Archie laughed as he made his measurements on the door.

“18 minutes,” Pea noted and Archie drilled the first hole. It worked exactly as it should and Betty got in position.

“Okay, we’re going blind on this one Betty,” Archie reminded her. “No hole to look through to make sure I’m on the right track,” he grimaced.

“We’ll get it,” she smiled, even as her heart was pounding a mile a minute. She carefully inserted her pinkie and felt around for the latch and found it and pushed against it. “Okay, go.” 

Having her finger in there while he drilled a fresh hole felt quite different than when they did it at their work shop. The vibrations were uncomfortable and Betty had to make sure she had a hard press on the latch. 

“Oh fuck,” she winced. “Keep going,” she urged when Archie paused and looked at her. She didn’t say anything about the fact that her finger felt like it was on fire and realized the drill was heating up the steel latch, something she should have realized would happen on the initial drill. 

“Okay, we’re 8 inches in, I’m about to hit the glass,” Archie said slowly as he eased forward. They both held their breath as the sound changed, making them realize they were through the steel and then his drill slid forward quickly and he grinned. “Through,” he exclaimed and Betty yanked her finger back and his eyes went wide. “Jesus Christ,” he muttered, grabbing her hand. 

“Don’t worry about that right now,” she said quickly, pulling back. “Get that list.” He turned the wheel on the door and pulled and the safe swung open. She stepped back and let Sweet Pea and Archie go in after they waited a bit to make sure the cameras were off. Betty bit her lip and stared at her finger which was blistered red from the heat of the metal and she shook it a little to try and ease the sting. She watched as Pea checked the drive and nodded to Archie.

“Just like I thought,” he muttered as he handed it to him. Archie threw it in his bag as Pea went over the walls and started pressing around on the panels. Her eyes widened when one of them slid to the side revealing a server. Pea plugged his device into it and soon a bunch of information started scrolling the screen.

“Okay, got it,” he confirmed after a couple of minutes. Archie quickly packed away the equipment in his bag and they left the safe and shut the door and hurried through the others until they were at the last one. Archie opened the door a crack and waited.

“You there Fangs?”

Betty heard Jughead’s sigh of relief when Archie’s voice came back over the COMs and he pulled away from the wall.

“All clear guys,” Fangs said. “You have 12 minutes, now move.”

“We did that in 14 minutes?” Betty asked in surprise as they started navigating the lasers again.

“You guys did amazing,” Jughead said with a smile. He watched as Fangs guided them down the hall and when they finally reached him he grabbed Betty in a tight hug and she trembled as the nerves gave way to adrenaline at having completed the job.

“Guys get moving, you have 4 minutes to reach the ballroom.”

Jughead grabbed Betty’s hand and they all began to run. Fangs guided them back and with 20 seconds to spare they reached the doors and Betty grabbed her shoes that she had tucked into the corner and Jughead handed her her mask before knocking three times and an answering sequence told him it was safe and they slipped out the door. Betty fixed her dress as Archie pulled the drive, handing it to Pea before he stuffed his bag back in the cart and almost immediately a waiter showed up and pushed it away. 

“As soon as you guys are clear we’ll leave the post,” one of the watching Feds said. Jughead nodded and they headed back over to the shadows next to the stairs where Toni and Cheryl were waiting.

“Damn, I was nervous when COMs went out,” Toni admitted. “Good job guys, now let’s get the hell out of here, this place gives me the creeps.” 

“This is the drive for the feds,” Pea said to Jughead, who put it in his pocket. “The Fed you’re giving it to will be standing next to the tree where we wait for our cars. Red flower in his jacket pocket.” Jughead nodded understanding and took Betty’s hand. They turned to go and her eyes scanned the room as the lights had turned back on and people started wandering around again.

She suddenly froze, her breath leaving her lungs, her eyes glued to a man in the middle of the room. There was no mistaking that hair and stance.

“Betty?” Cheryl asked worriedly when she saw her freeze and a look of horror come over her face. Jughead took her arm and turned her, studying her face. He turned to see what she was looking at and didn’t seem to understand. She quickly backed away and pressed into the shadows where they had been standing and could feel her throat closing up on her.

“Baby, breathe,” Jughead urged. “What the hell’s happening?”

“I…I can’t….” Betty tried to talk but the fear that seeped through her was so paralyzing, her entire body seemed to go numb. 

“Betty, talk to me,” he urged.

“What the fuck is happening guys,” Fangs asked. “You need to get out of there before the unconscious men are found.” 

“We’re having an issue here, Fangs,” Jughead snapped. “Give us a minute.” He rubbed his hands on her arms and Betty tried to calm down and then she started shaking. She felt her eyes fill with tears and she shook her head.

“No,” she gasped. “We have to go, we have to go,” she whispered, finally finding her voice.

“What is happening?” Jughead asked, his voice heavy with concern.

“Chic,” she whispered. He shook his head, not understanding. “He’s here,” she said with a sob, shrinking back against the wall again. Jughead went still and everyone sort of moved into the shadows with her.

“What?” he asked, his voice hard, cold.

“He’s here,” she whimpered and Cheryl quickly wrapped an arm around her. 

“Where?” Jughead asked.

“The middle of the room. He’s wearing the dark gray suit with the red tie. Blonde hair, gray mask,” she managed with a shaky voice. Jughead scanned the room and found the man and studied him with furrowed brow.

“Are you sure?” he asked, looking at her.

“I’m sure,” she said firmly. “It’s his hair and he stands exactly the way Chic always does. You said these people were his associates and you also said he wouldn’t…” she trailed off, once again choking on her words. Jughead’s heart ached for her and he could see she was on the verge of a full on breakdown and he needed to get her calm and get her out.

“Baby, look at me,” he said softly, his hands moving to cup her face. She blinked and tried to focus on him and he pressed a soft kiss to her mouth and she took a shuddering breath, her hands gripping his jacket lapels. He pulled back and her eyes found his, and they were swimming with tears. “I promise, he won’t hurt you,” he assured her gently. “I’m right here and he won’t get anywhere near you, okay?” She took a couple of deep breaths and managed a nod. 

“Explain to me why Chic is here,” Archie said quietly. “The feds must have known. There’s no way they didn’t know.”

“Mother fuckers,” Pea fumed.

“Betty,” Jughead said softly, his attention still on the trembling woman. She moved closer to him, seeming to want to crawl into him as she pressed against him. He swept his thumbs across her cheeks and she let out a trembling breath. “Just breathe sweetheart,” he murmured. “I love you and I will keep you safe,” he whispered, lowering his forehead to hers, not caring that they were all watching, he just wanted her to borrow some of his strength. When she shaking seemed to lessen slightly, he stepped back and looked at Archie. “Get her out of here, all of you as well.”

“Wait, what?” Toni asked. “You’re coming too.”

“No, I have something to do,” Jughead said quietly, his eyes once again moving back to Chic.

“No,” Betty gasped, grabbing his jacket. “No, no, you can’t go up to him,” she exclaimed, bursting into tears. “He’s going to kill you.”

“He won’t,” Jughead assured her. “There’s no way he’s going to cause a scene here.”

“What are you going to do?” she asked fearfully.

“I’m just going to talk to him,” Jughead said softly. “I promise it will be alright.” He turned to Archie. “Get her out of here.” Archie immediately wrapped his arm around her waist and almost carried her over to the stairs, everyone else surrounding them so nobody noticed that Betty was on the verge of losing it. 

“No, Archie, don’t let him…” he could hear her plead and Jughead felt awful for causing her more worry but there was no way he was going to leave without meeting this man he had deemed as satan himself. Once they were up the stairs and heading to the door, Jughead straighten his jacket and turned to look at Chic. He was still standing there, scanning the room and Jughead steeled himself and headed in his direction. Chic turned and watched him approach, as if sensing that someone was coming at him and Jughead was a little taken aback by the cold deadness of the man’s eyes and he realized that he was evil beyond redemption.

“I hear you’ve been looking for me,” Jughead said calmly when he stopped a foot away from him. He saw Chic’s brow furrow in confusion, not understanding. Jughead smiled coldly and slowly pulled off his mask and he saw the other man falter in surprise just slightly before he masked it and his face went ice once again.

“Jughead Jones,” he said slowly, standing up straighter and tilting his head slightly. 

“Chic Cooper,” Jughead returned.

“You must be fucking stupid to show up here,” Chic laughed, the sound as icy as his stare.

“Well, it is for the children after all, isn’t it?” Jughead mocked. 

“You took something that belongs to me.”

“She doesn’t belong to you.”

“Well, from the picture I’ve seen, you seem to think she belongs to you now,” Chic said, a layer of rage laced into his voice.

“She belongs to no one,” Jughead snapped. “But if she’ll have me, I’m more than willing to let her own me.”

“That will be your downfall,” Chic smirked. “Like the moron that you are, you went and fell in love with her?” Jughead glared at the insult, his fingers curling into a fist. “That’s just pathetic. Unfortunately for you, I’m going to need her back and you’re in my way.”

“What are you going to do, Cooper? You going to kill me right here? Show all these spineless fucks what a big man you are? Get blood all over their phony pretense?” Jughead asked.

“Oh, I won’t kill you here,” Chic said slowly. “This isn’t their fight. This is between you and me and I don’t want to share killing you with anyone.”

“You think you can kill me?” Jughead asked with a smirk.

“Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents,” Chic spoke, his eyes glittering dangerously.

“A man like you quoting the Bible is about the most blasphemous thing I’ve ever heard in my life,” Jughead replied. “I don’t suppose you’ve read the following….Behold, I send you out in the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents.”

“You a man of faith, Jones?”

“No. They frown on anyone who’s ripping someone apart, limb from limb,” Jughead said, his voice calm but deadly. The evil smirk on Chic’s face made his blood run cold as the man stepped back and lifted his arms in mock surrender.

“Go ahead then, if you dare.”

Jughead couldn’t help the amused hint of a smile that played at his lips. The arrogance in this spineless mother fucker was laughable and he would enjoy cutting it out of him.

“No Chic, what I have planned for you is much too gruesome for these pretentious assholes; I much prefer to take my revenge where I can take my time.”

“Revenge? Isn’t that my objective? You did steal from me after all,” Chic reminded him.

“For all the horror you put Betty through and for my sister.”

“Your sister?” Chic asked, momentarily confused. “Ah yes, the girl who started this whole thing. I forgot all about her,” he said with a shrug. Jughead felt his body fill with rage and it took every ounce of control to not snap the man’s neck where he stood. He clenched his fists and stepped close, leaning in to make sure Chic heard every word.

“Understand this, Cooper, before this is over, I’m going to put you in the ground. That I can promise you.” He leaned back and Chic smiled at him.

“I’ll be waiting.”

“I’ll see you soon,” Jughead promised as he backed away. Chic watched him go, his hands curling into fists as well and Jughead turned and quickly headed up the stairs. “I’m heading out guys. Tell me the cars and limo are there.”

“They’re here and we’re waiting. Pass off the drive and get in your car,” Fangs ordered hurriedly.

“Where’s Betty?”

“In the limo,” Toni spoke. 

“Get her in the car and Archie stand next to it until I’m there,” Jughead ordered and he heard the flurry of activity as they did as they were told.

 

“Well, he was certainly handsome, wasn’t he?” Chic turned to the woman who spoke that suddenly appeared next to him, sipping on champagne. She was older and clearly looking for a young conquest if the way her eyes wandered over him was any indication. “Wonder what he did with the blonde waif he had on his arm earlier.” He froze and stared at her.

“Blonde?” he managed to choke out. “He had a blonde with him?”

“Yes, she was lovely from what I could tell. Had the most intense green eyes and the way he looked at her….” She trailed off as Chic raced toward the stairs, leaving her standing and staring after him. He got to the top just as an alarm sounded and someone came stumbling out of a side door of the ballroom. Everything just sort of came to a halt. The talking, the music and security came running and Chic suddenly had a feeling of dread start to boil inside him. He ran to the door just as a red Ferrari pulled away from the pick up area but not before he caught a flash of blonde in the passenger seat.

“Fuck,” he roared. He had come to the benefit with Malachi as a guard of sorts because even though he worked with these people, he didn’t trust any of them. The man came running up to him.

“What’s going on?”

“Find out where that Ferrari is going,” he ordered, running over to the loading area and pulling a parking attendant from the car that had just pulled up. Malachi jumped in and sped out of the drive. 

“Hey, that’s our car,” a man exclaimed and Chic ignored him and ran inside. The fact that Jughead Jones was also known as The Shadow Thief wasn’t lost on him and he was filled with panic. He hurried to the area where guards and some of his players were standing and Amelin was among them. The man seemed in a rage.

“What’s going on?” Chic asked, almost afraid of the answer.

“Somebody got into our inner vault. The god damned drive is gone.”

“What drive?”

“The drive, Cooper! The fucking list that’s supposed to have all our players, buyers and transactions. The very thing that will put us all in prison for 500 fucking years.”

“Oh fuck,” Chic gasped, suddenly realizing the trouble they were in. He tried to remain calm and backed off a little. The last thing he needed was for these people to realize that his actions had brought this on and now they were on the verge of being destroyed. He needed Malachi to catch that car or he was a dead man.

 

“Jughead, you have someone tailing you,” Fangs said over the car COMs as they sped away from the mansion and headed into the middle of the city.

“I’m aware,” Jughead said as he watched his mirrors. He was a good driver and could lose a cop in traffic on a good day but whoever this was, he was good.

“Is it Chic? Oh my God, it’s Chic isn’t it,” Betty exclaimed, on the verge of a panic attack. She was clutching the dash, trying to breathe and not doing a good job of it.

“Calm down baby,” Jughead urged, taking a fast right turn that had her flying against the door. 

“I told you,” she cried. “I told you not to go up to him.”

“It’s not Chic,” he insisted, convinced the bastard didn’t know how to drive like that. One of his men probably.

“What do you want us to do, Jug?” Archie asked.

“Head back home since nobody is following you. Pea, go at that info and see what you can find. It will probably take a while to crack as I’m sure these people aren’t amateurs. How long will it be before the feds realize they have a bogus drive?”

“Probably a couple of days. There is enough info on there to seem legit before they realize it’s bullshit and then they should be showing up,” Pea answered.

“Those fuckers,” Jughead fumed. “I’m going to enjoy kicking Keller’s lying ass.”

“He let us walk into a heist and he knew my brother would be there?” Betty gasped, still trying to control her breathing.

“He had to have known,” Fangs ventured. “No fucking way they didn’t know.”

“You sure you’re alright, Jug?” Archie asked.

“I’ll lose him soon enough. The Jag still parked on 7th?”

“Yup, gassed up and ready to go.”

“Alright, get home you guys. We’re going to lose this idiot, switch cars and go to the hotel. We’ll be home tomorrow. Nobody in or out of the building tonight, understood?”

“Got it,” Fangs replied and then the COMs shut down. Jughead checked the mirrors again and then looked at Betty. She was still reeling and breathing harshly and he ached to make her feel better but he couldn’t just yet.

“Hold on sweetheart,” he urged as he pressed on the gas.

Betty held on to the dash and tried not to throw up as Jughead sped through the streets trying to lose the car behind him. She had no idea how they weren’t alerting any police with the way he was driving but he definitely knew what he was doing. She was shaking still, the nausea as much from seeing Chic as the driving and she leaned her head back and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to hang on to any bit of control she could muster. 

“I think we lost him,” Jughead said after a while, checking all the mirrors. She looked in the mirror as well even though she had no idea what she was looking for but it did seem like normal traffic. He took her hand and looked at her in concern as he drive around for another 20 minutes, weaving in and out of streets to make sure they weren’t followed and slowly made his way to where their other car was. 

The other car happened to be a silver jaguar and Jughead helped Betty into it and then he quickly wiped down the Ferrari and changed the plates and they drove away, leaving it for someone to pick up and wash the paint off the following day. 

“You okay hon?” Jughead asked softly, taking her hand. She was still trembling and had tears on her face and he was suddenly filled with anger and he wanted to go back and put a knife through Chic’s heart and his fist through Keller’s face. That bastard had some explaining to do. “Betty…” he murmured. She looked at him, her chin trembling.

“I don’t know,” Betty whispered and his heart again ached for her.

 

Chic was pacing back and forth as the benefit cleared out. An announcement had been made that there had been a theft of something that had tremendous value and that everyone had to leave. When someone mentioned that the thief could still be there, he kept quiet and one of the guards who had been knocked out assured them it was a team and they were gone. A couple of women, some men, according to the guards found in the basement. This had been a professional heist and Amelin was furious. As the cameras feeds were checked and found to be tampered with, he ordered his associates that remained into his office, Chic among them. Amelin closed the door and his eyes found Chic and he became nervous at the fury he saw on his face.

“Tell me this didn’t happen because of you,” he spat and Chic thought his heart would stop in panic.

“What do you mean?” he managed, trying to sound nonchalant. 

“A few months ago you managed to leave a survivor who named you to the feds. Then your sister gets taken out from under your fucking nose after she was already sold and we have an extremely angry international client. You start asking around about someone named Jughead Jones and can’t seem to find your head from your ass on that and now the fucking drive got taken? How in the fuck did this happen?”

“I don’t know how this happened,” Chic stammered, loosening his tie that now felt like it was choking him.

“Who is Jughead Jones?”

“He’s the brother of the woman that survived,” he said in a small voice. “He’s the one who took my sister. I got…I got information that he’s working with the feds and he’s apparently known as The Shadow Thief.”

“Jesus Christ!” Amelin roared. “And it never accured to you to let us know?”

“I thought I could handle it,” Chic choked out.

“You’re fucking lucky they didn’t get shit,” another man spat.

“What do you mean?” Chic asked in confusion. 

“The drive had nothing but dead ends on there and false information,” Amelin explained. “Do you really think I would just leave our information on some stupid drive in a safe? I’ve suspected for a while that the feds may have someone inside my organization and while I have no clue who it is or if they are still there, I made a show of letting everyone know that we had a drive full of info in case this ever happened. To draw them out and prove I’m right. Now we know who got into our system and now I’m going to take extra precautions.” 

“Oh, so they got nothing?” Chic asked.

“They got nothing,” he confirmed. “But, hear this Cooper, you find this Jughead Jones and you put an end to this and you do it now or I will end _you_.” Chic nodded quickly and hurried from the room. He met Malachi outside the mansion and the man explained that he had lost Jughead.

“Find me Mantle. This shit ends now,” Chic fumed.


	22. Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: gun handling
> 
> oh and smutty smut.....but those two things are not related lol

Reggie was sitting in the clubhouse nursing a beer when Chic and Malachi walked in. He sat up straighter when he saw the rage Chic was in and when his furious eyes landed on him, he began to panic. Before he even had time to react, the man had crossed the room and yanked him from his chair and slammed him against the wall. His stomach lurched when he felt the cold metal of the barrel of Chic’s gun pressing under his chin.

“Why is Jughead Jones not lying at my feet yet?” he snapped furiously, the look in his eyes edging on crazy. The room went quiet and some men hurried out, not wanting to be in the way if Chic started firing his weapon.

“He’s not easy to find,” Reggie sputtered, trying to swallow his fear. “I’ve been asking around, he’s like a ghost.”

“Well that ghost was standing right in front of me tonight!” Chic roared, his fury making his face turn red.

“Wha…what?” 

“Fucking walked right up to me and introduced himself,” Chic said with a twisted laugh. “Promised to put me in the ground. Now,” he sneered, pressing the gun into Reggie’s neck a little harder. “You have three days to find out where this mother fucker is or it’s going to be _you_ who’s in the ground. Are we clear?” Reggie nodded quickly, the fear rolling in his stomach. He knew that it wasn’t an empty threat. Chic pushed back and for extra emphasis slammed his gun into the side of his head and Reggie slid to the floor, darkness swallowing him up.

 

 

Jughead drove to the Four Seasons where he had a room ready and waiting for them. Betty had gone quiet, clinging to his hand with both of hers and he could feel she was still trembling. He parked in the front and turned off the engine and they sat in silence for a few moments. The parking attendant walked up and respectfully waited until they were ready.

“Are you okay?” he asked her again, his voice soft and gentle.

“I’m not sure yet,” she said honestly, her chin quivering. “I saw him and I honestly felt like I was back in that room and he was going to kill me once and for all.”

“Let’s get you up to our room, okay?” he said softly. “Maybe have a bath and something strong to drink?”

“Yeah, sure,” she agreed, almost robotically. Jughead got out of the car and came around to her side to help her as the attendant opened her door. She stumbled against him and he steadied her and closed the door, leaning her against it. He popped the trunk and pulled out a bag that was stashed there and then he wrapped his arm around her waist and kept her steady as they walked inside and over to the elevator. “Don’t we need to check in?” she asked.

“No, Toni took care of everything earlier; we’re good.” The elevator took them right to the top floor and she suddenly wished their life was different and they were on a date and it was ending with them in what she was sure was a luxury suite and her eyes filled with tears. She quickly blinked them away and steadied herself as the elevator came to a stop. When they stepped out she was surprised that the entire floor was their suite. She walked slowly into the room and realized it was basically a full scale apartment.

“This is enormous,” she whispered as she looked around. It was also breathtaking. Wood, glass and stone. Marble fireplaces and beautiful wood furniture. 

“Yeah, it’s got three bedrooms. We always book this one in case things go really sideways and we all need to lay low away from home for a while. It’s on a private floor and we’d all be together this way and it makes things easier. Tonight it’s just you and me though,” he said softly as he dropped the bag and came over to her. “Crazy as it sounds, there are two libraries and 4 terraces and 4 bathrooms,” he chuckled. “Last time we needed to lay low we stayed here for a week because nobody wanted to go home. It’s called the Gotham Suite.”

“Well, it’s amazing and it has a grand piano,” she noticed, staring at the large gleaming instrument in the middle of the room. She turned and took in everything and on any other day she would have been bursting with excitement but it all just felt tainted. “Where are we going to sleep, I’d like to use the bathroom?”

Jughead led her to the largest room and of course it was incredibly beautiful and she stopped in surprise at the rose petals on the bed, the champagne and strawberries chilling, the candles lit, the soft music playing. She turned to look at him and he gave her a small smile and a shrug.

“I thought we’d have a successful night and that we’d celebrate and I wanted everything to be perfect so I told the hotel to set it up for me.”

“It’s really beautiful,” she whispered in a shaky voice. “And romantic.”

“Yeah…” he said softly. She walked over to the sliding door to the terrace and saw it was a view of central park, just like their apartment. She wondered where exactly his building was and as if sensing her thoughts he pointed to the left.

“Somewhere in the middle. It’s hard to see without binoculars,” he murmured, taking her hand. She had forgotten about her burnt finger and gasped, pulling away when he gave it a squeeze.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, concerned when he saw her flinch with pain. He lifted her hand and noticed her finger for the first time.

“Shit, how did this happen and why didn’t you tell me?” he asked softly. 

“Well, having my finger in the door while Archie is drilling is a little different than having it in there when the drilling is already done. The metal got really hot.”

“Oh hon,” he sighed, leading her into the bathroom. He found the first aid kit and gently applied a burn salve and wrapped a bandage around it before lifting it to his mouth to give it a gentle kiss. Betty touched his face and smiled.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“I’ll be right outside if you need me,” he said softly, kissing it again before leaving the bathroom. Betty walked over to the vanity and looked at all the luxurious products the hotel provided, the beautiful flowers that sat in a crystal vase, a beautiful water bowl with a pitcher sitting in it, fluffy white towels for wiping, then she looked at herself in the mirror and while she still looked fancy and beautifully made up, her eyes were shimmering in tears. She had already cried and was thankful Cheryl had put waterproof makeup on her because at least her face wasn’t a mess.

She stared at herself and ran her fingers along her jaw. Who was this woman staring back at her? Where did she belong? She lifted her hand and saw how it shook and she clenched it closed, feeling her nails wanting to dig into her skin. Seeing Chic had sent her into a spin and she had barely managed to hang on but now she couldn’t get his face out of her head. Would she ever be rid of him? 

“Are you okay?” Jughead’s soft voice came through the door and she felt the tears she had been fighting fell down her cheeks and she wiped at them. This man, this beautiful man, loved her. Would do anything for her. He had set up an evening of romance for her and she wouldn’t let her brother ruin it for them. In fact, she was certain the only way she could drive him from her mind was if she lost herself in Jughead.

“I’ll be right out,” she answered, taking a deep breath and pulling herself together. She wasn’t going to let Chic ruin her night. She was going to make sure the only thing she could think about was Jughead. Betty fixed up her face and smoothed her hair back and left the bathroom. He was pacing in front of the fireplace that he had clicked on and the room glowed in the light of it. He paused and looked at her, his concern evident and Betty managed a small smile and walked over to him.

“Hey,” he said softly when she stopped in front of him, smoothing her hands over his chest, feeling the hard muscle beneath his shirt. He was so beautiful, he took her breath away and all she wanted on her mind was him. Her hands trembled slightly and she slid them up and pushed his jacket off his shoulders leaning in and pressing her lips to his neck.

“Betty,” he sighed, stepping back. “You need to rest, let me take care of you.” 

“And let all this go to waste?” she mentioned, motioning around the room at the flowers and candles. 

“I just want to make sure you’re okay,” Jughead said softly. “I want to take care of you. I could run you a bubble bath….” 

This man. How was he even real? 

“Well, a bubble bath does sound wonderful but that’s not the kind of _taking care_ that I need, Jug,” she said, her voice trembling. She moved closer and ran her hand down his front, her eyes going dark. “I need you to take me apart so there are so many pieces of me that I can’t put myself back together.” He swallowed and she stepped closer, her fingers curling into his shirt. “I want you to torment me. Torment me and make me beg. Torment me until I hate how much I want you. I want you to mark me.....” 

“Betty, stop,” Jughead managed around the sudden dryness of his throat. “I will not mark you...” 

“Yes,” she demanded, her hands pulling at his shirt, her body starting to tremble. “I want marks put on my body from lust, desire and love instead of pain and fear.” She felt the heat begin to simmer inside her as she watched his eyes go dark with arousal. “I’ve seen how you command the Serpents, how you take control, how you take charge. I want you to do that with me Jug,” Betty breathed. “Possess me, take charge of me, own me. I need you to make sure that I never forget that I belong to you.”

“Jesus,” he choked out at the heat in her eyes. She knew, she knew in that instant that he would give her exactly what she wanted until she completely lost herself in him. 

“Fuck me Jughead, until neither of us can think.”

He studied her face for so long she started feeling self-conscious and wondered if maybe she had asked too much of him. She bit her lip nervously and his hand came up and he brushed his thumb over her bottom lip, tugging it free and then he stepped back and turned away from her, walking to the small table that held a crystal decanter filled with what she assumed was scotch since it was his drink of choice. He glanced at her as he poured the liquid into a glass and lifted it, swallowing the drink in one gulp. Betty braced herself for disappointment, assuming he really wasn’t going to give her what she asked for as he pulled his smokes from his pocket, taking one out and lifting it to his mouth. He walked backwards until he hit the ornate desk looking out over the terrace and leaned against it, crossing his ankles as he lit his cigarette. He took a long drag and folded his arms across his chest as he watched her and she felt a flicker of confusion, about to ask what he was doing when he spoke.

“Take your dress off,” he ordered, his voice low, gruff and demanding and she felt it right in her core. “Leave the heels.” Betty went still for a moment, staring at him in surprise. She realized that she had asked a lot from him and had he picked her up and laid her on the bed and made gentle love to her instead, she would have been just as grateful but the fact that he was indeed going to do exactly what she craved made her tremble with heat. “I’m waiting,” he said with a raised eyebrow, as if wondering why she wasn’t hurrying to comply and his demanding tone aroused her more than she thought it would.

Betty reached behind her and pulled at the tie that held the dress together, feeling it loosen and she held his gaze as she lifted her hands and slipped her fingers underneath the straps, slowly pulling them down her arms and letting the shimmering dress float to the floor at her feet. His cigarette was half way to his mouth when he paused, his eyes raking her from top to bottom. She wasn’t wearing a bra and the white lace thong was as flimsy as underwear could get and she may as well have been naked, the silver heels twinkling in the firelight. He took another drag and she shivered as his eyes devoured her, the smoke curling up around him.

“Are you….are you allowed to smoke in here?” she asked, her voice catching. 

“I don’t normally follow rules,” he said with an arrogant smirk and she wanted to kiss it right off his face. “Come here,” he ordered and she walked slowly over to him, his eyes lingering on the sway of her hips. She stopped a breath away from him, saw how dark his eyes were and she found her entire body was tingling with anticipation. He dropped his cigarette in the glass of water that sat on the desk before focusing his attention back to her. “So, Betty,” he started. “Are you sure you know what you’re asking for?”

“Yes,” she insisted.

“And you’re going to be a good girl and do everything I tell you to do?” he asked gruffly, lifting his hand and trailing his finger down the curve of her breast, gently circling her nipple that hardened immediately. She let out a breath, biting back a moan at his touch. “Answer me,” he demanded, giving the hard nub a pinch. Her entire body jolted at the feeling and she gasped.

“Yes.” 

Jughead pulled himself away from the table and rose up in front of her, his entire body brushing just lightly against hers and she shivered, the feel of his clothing against her skin was deliciously arousing. He trailed his hand up her arm and let his thumb stroke along her collarbone, the soft touch make her ache for more.

“Do you remember the night of the ruby heist,” he asked gruffly, his head dipping slightly so his breath fanned across her mouth. She could almost taste the tobacco and scotch and she wanted his tongue in her mouth but she nodded instead. “I can’t hear you…”

“Yes, I remember,” she breathed, touching his chest. He grabbed her hand and lowered it back to her side and she almost groaned in frustration. 

“Do you remember what I said to you?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“What did I say?”

“You….you said I was going to pay for what I was doing,” she answered, her voice catching as his fingers danced across her chest.

“What were you doing Betty?”

“I wasn’t letting you touch me,” she whimpered as he cupped her breasts, his thumbs sliding across the aching peaks.

“That wasn’t very nice, was it?” Jughead asked, his mouth moving closer to hers so she almost felt it but not quite. She leaned in and he moved away and smirked at her whimper. 

“No,” Betty whispered, pressing her thighs together. He was barely touching her and she could already feel the moisture gather. He noticed her action and backed away from her and she let out a huff and glared at him as he unbuttoned his shirt, kicking off his shoes and socks before moving to settle in a chair. “Seriously?” she sighed.

“Take your panties off,” he ordered and she quickly hurried to comply. “Slowly.” Betty slowly slid them down her legs, bending over and arching her back, giving him a sexy side view of her body and she didn’t miss the way he shifted and brushed his hand against the front of his pants. She kicked them away and straightened, standing naked in front of him in only her heels, hands on her hips and he took a moment to once again devour her with his eyes and then he smiled slowly and she shivered at the look in his eyes. “Bring that chair and sit down in front of me.”

“Like this?” she asked once she had moved it a couple of feet in front of him and sat down on it, all prim and proper despite her nudity. 

“Spread your legs,” Jughead ordered and she drew in a breath and blushed. The way his eyes burned into hers seemed to take the shyness away and she held his gaze as she slowly spread her legs and his eyes dropped down between them and she watched as he swallowed, the authority in his face slipping for a moment to hunger before he looked up again. “Touch yourself.”

Betty smiled and ran her hands along her thighs, bypassing her core and moving them up to cup her breasts, lifting them and squeezing as he watched. She rolled her nipples between her fingers, pinching lightly and letting out a soft moan at the thrill that went through her because he was watching her. She slowly ran her hand down her front and teased herself between the legs, feeling how wet she was for him already and how his eyes fixated on her fingers. 

“Does that feel good?” he asked gruffly, his own hand undoing his pants and sliding down the zipper. 

“Yes,” she breathed, slowly circling her clit and her hips rolled instinctively. Betty’s eyes were glued to his hand as he reached into his pants and pulled himself out. He was huge and hard and her breath caught in her throat, the urge to fall to her knees and taste him so overwhelming, she let out a whimper. Jughead smirked at her as he slowly stroked himself. 

“You look like you want my cock,” he taunted, swiping his thumb over the tip and the action made her ache as she stroked herself a little faster. “Do you want my cock, Betty?”

“God, yes,” she gasped, her fingers moving down and sliding inside. She was so aroused from his demanding orders and watching him stroke himself, she could feel herself start to shake already and he noticed.

“Stop,” he ordered and she moaned in frustration but obeyed, lifting her hand away from her aching core. “Come here.” Betty quickly got up and stepped closer and he grabbed her hand, bringing her fingers to his mouth and sucking them clean. “You taste so good,” he murmured as he curled his tongue around her fingers and she whimpered, moving between his legs, her core aching for him.

“Can I taste you?” she asked, her voice trembling and he widened his legs, nodding. Betty lowered to her knees and he cupped her chin, forcing her to look at him.

“Nothing but your mouth touches me,” he ordered and she nodded quickly and lowered her head as he held himself up for her and he let out a guttural groan when she ran her tongue up the length, swirling it over the tip and catching a drop that leaked. Betty grasped the arm rests of the chair, wanting more than anything to run them over his chest but she had promised to obey him and he clearly liked torturing her and she relished in the fact that for this moment, he was completely at her mercy and she took him in her mouth, his hips bucking up, causing him to hit the back of her throat and she sucked eagerly, pulling off slowly before taking him deep again. She loved how he felt in her mouth, hard and heavy, the skin smooth and warm and Jughead’s head fell to rest on the back of the chair as she worked him, his hand tangling in her hair as it settled on her head, guiding her down on him and tightening slightly when she came back up.

“Ahh fuck,” he groaned, lifting his head once again to watch her. “That sweet dirty mouth.” Betty smiled around him and added more suction and he grunted, his hands fisting in her hair. “Take it like a good girl,” he growled, his voice gruff and hoarse as he moved with her, fucking into her mouth and she moaned around him, her body aching with need. She moved her hand down to stroke herself and he grabbed it, putting it back on the arm rest. “No.” 

“Then let me touch you,” she pleaded.

“One hand,” he relented and she quickly wrapped her hand around his cock, getting a better position and bobbed her head eagerly, swirling her tongue around him. She lifted her eyes and held his gaze as she licked around the head, sucking and teasing him and she could feel him start to tremble, his thighs tightening. “Fuck, you want me to come baby?” he asked with a groan.

“Yes, please,” she begged, wanting to taste him, to make him fall apart even as her own body throbbed with desperate need. 

“Take it deep,” he murmured and she pulled him in until he hit that back of her throat and she swallowed around him and his entire body tightened in reaction. “Oh fuck,” he groaned and then he was spilling down her throat and she moaned as she pulled everything from him, sucking slowly as he spent himself. When he calmed, she pulled off, kissing the side of his length and he pulled her up, his mouth covering hers and she gasped as he pulled her onto his lap, her legs straddling him and groaned when his hand found its way between her legs. “So fucking wet for me,” he gasped into her mouth, still trying to catch his breath. “Do you want to come for me?”

“Yes, yes,” she cried out as his fingers slipped inside her, his thumb stroking against her clit. 

“I don’t know if I should let you come,” he teased, his tongue sliding along her jawline and his teeth biting her earlobe. 

“Please,” she begged, grinding down on his fingers. She climbed quickly and just as her body started to tighten in orgasm, he pulled his hand away and her body shuddered and clenched around nothing. “No, no…” she cried out in frustration, trying to push down and grind on his lap to add some pressure as her body shook in orgasm, getting no relief or satisfaction but he held her off, letting her body release with no stimulation.

“Fuck, you’re beautiful,” he spoke, almost in awe as he watched her body shake. He leaned in and licked over her nipples and she clawed at him, trying to pull his hand back to her core and he instead wrapped it around the back of her neck and pulled her in for another kiss, his tongue thrusting into her mouth and she moaned and sank against him, still shaking and desperate for stimulation.

“Jug, I need….i need more….” Betty whimpered, her body moving against his. Jughead pulled back, smiled at her and nudged her to stand up. She stood shakily and he moved with her, pulling her over to the bed and she was ready to push him onto it and climb him but he had other ideas.

“On your hands and knees,” he demanded, giving her a gentle push over the bed and she climbed on, her knees on the edge and she looked back over her shoulder at him, biting her lip and arching her back. “Look at you,” he growled, his hand moving down her back and sliding over her back side. He squeezed before moving it down her leg to her ankles and loosening the straps and slipping of her shoe. He did the same to the other, leaving a kiss on both feet before standing and leaning over her, nudging her backside with his cock that was beginning to stand at attention again. He leaned down and kissed her shoulder and sucked at her neck and she wiggled against him, needing more. 

“Please do something,” she moaned, gripping the sheets.

“Oh, I will baby,” he laughed softly in her ear. “And you’re not allowed to come unless I tell you to, understand?” Betty whimpered and dropped her head down between her arms. “Understand?” he asked more forcefully, his hand gripping her hip in a tight squeeze.

“I understand,” she gasped, feeling like she was going to combust before the night was over. Jughead kissed his way down her back, his mouth leaving patches of heat everywhere it landed. His hands smoothed over her skin and then he was kissing over the cheek of her back side and she jumped when he bit lightly before smoothing over it with his tongue. He moved further and then he was sucking on the back of her thigh and her grip on the sheets tightened at the delicious feel of it on her skin. He was doing exactly what she wanted; slowly but surely taking her apart and she felt it in every part of her.

“So beautiful,” he murmured again as he grasped her thighs and slowly parted them a little further and she felt his breath move over her as he teased around her folds with his mouth. His tongue dragged in the crease where her backside met her thigh while his hand slid up the inside of her thigh, his fingers teasing along the edge of her core. He found her clit and she moaned when he gently circled it and Betty moved her hips, hoping he didn’t once again throw her body into orgasm without anything to grab at, or at least pressure on her sensitive nub.

“Juggie,” she whimpered and he moved his fingers and they slid inside her and her body clenched at the action and he groaned against her thigh as he moved them slowly back and forth. He pulled them out and then his mouth was on her, his tongue sliding through her folds and she shuddered, her upper body sinking into the sheets as she pressed her face to them to muffle her cries of pleasure. It didn’t take long and she was shaking as he sucked on her, licking into her and she could feel her orgasm building and she worked hard to keep it at bay. “I’m close,” she groaned, warning him that she might not be able to hold it. Jughead sank his fingers back inside her and she moved her hand down, wanting the stimulation on her clit and she jumped when he slapped it away.

“No touching,” he ordered as he lifted up, leaning over her again. She let out a frustrated cry and pressed back against his fingers that he sank deep inside her, curling and thrusting. “You want to come, don’t you baby?” he asked, teasing the shell of her ear with his tongue.

“Yes,” she breathed, her body feeling like it was on fire and she didn’t know how much longer she could hold it. 

“But you you’re not allowed, are you?” he asked, sucking below her ear.

“No,” she whimpered, pressing back against his fingers.

“Why not?” he breathed in her ear.

“You didn’t give me permission,” Betty let out with a sob. He sucked on her neck, moving his fingers quickly inside her and she gasped for breath, feeling her body begin to tighten despite his rule that she not come. “Please Jug,” she cried.

“Touch yourself,” he ordered and her hand practically flow down under her and she rubbed herself with a relieved sob. He straightened and pulled his fingers out and then she felt his cock probing at her and she let out an unladylike groan as he suddenly slid inside her.

“Oh my god,” she cried, thrusting her body back against him, trying to pull him deeper. He thrust into her a few times while she circled her clit.

“Fuck, you’re so wet,” he groaned. “Come Betty, I want to feel you come all over my cock,” he ordered and she fell apart, her orgasm rushing through her. “Holy shit,” Jughead gasped as she tightened around him, pulling him deep. Betty cried out, her entire body erupting with pleasure and she gripped the sheets, feeling like she was flying as she finally got satisfaction. She sank into the sheets, barely aware as Jughead moved slowly inside her, his hands stroking her back as she slowly came down. She became aware that he hadn’t followed her and when she managed to regain her senses, she turned and looked at him, the look in his eyes making her shiver.

“You didn’t…”

“I’m not finished with you,” he smirked as he slowly pulled out and she whimpered as he turned her over and smiled down at her, pulling his shirt off and letting his pants and boxers drop, stepping out of them and kicking them aside. Her eyes focused on his arousal, hard and thick and slick with her wetness and she sat up and before he realized what she was doing, lowered her head and took him in her mouth, licking and sucking him clean and he jolted and gasped in surprise.

“Fucking hell,” he growled, his hand sliding into her hair and guiding her mouth as she worked him over and after letting her for a few moments, he pulled her off and nudged her back on the bed. “I didn’t give you permission to do that,” he said, shaking his finger at her.

“I heard no complaints,” she smirked and he raised an eyebrow.

“Well, now you’re having a big mouth and I might have to punish you,” he said slowly. Betty shivered in anticipation, his threat exciting her. She shivered at the hungry look in his eyes and he came down over her and took her mouth in a desperate kiss. His tongue curled around hers and he kissed her until she could barely breathe. When he let go she was gasping and his mouth moved down her neck, sucking at the skin where her pulse fluttered crazily. 

“I just want you inside me,” she breathed, her hands moving over his skin. Jughead smiled and took her hands, pulling them up over her head. 

“No touching,” he reminded her and she huffed in frustration once again. She had basically begged him to take her apart and torment her and he was definitely doing that.

Jughead’s hand moved and stroked over her breast, pinching lightly at the nipple and he paused for a moment and just looked at her. Her chest heaving, her rosy nipples straining for him. He lowered his mouth and touched his tongue lightly to one and she whimpered, lifting her back for more and he only moved down, dragging his tongue along the crease where her breast joined her torso, leaving gentle bites in his way. He kept at it until she was trembling and then he moved back up and ran his tongue over her nipple before finally taking it in his mouth and she bucked against him. He spent long moments driving her completely crazy until she was pulling on his hair before he slowly kissed his way down. 

His hands moved up the inside of her thighs, pushing them wide, his mouth sucking bruises into her skin everywhere he touched. She gasped and jumped when he bit the inside of her thigh before running his tongue over it to soothe and he smirked against her skin as she shifted impatiently. 

“Please Jug, I want your tongue inside me,” she moaned, trying to shifted her core to his mouth. He seemed as eager to do that as she and he leaned in and licked over her, groaning at the wet heat that covered his tongue. 

“You taste so fucking good,” he groaned, his mouth latching over her, sucking at her clit. Betty let out a yell and bucked up against him as he moved down and slipped his tongue inside her. 

“Fuck,” she gasped. He pushed her thighs further apart and his tongue moved between pressing inside her and swirling up and around her clit. She was moaning loudly as he brought her to the edge, only to pull back and bite her thigh, not letting her find release. “Please!” she cried out, her whole body shaking. Jughead pushed his fingers inside her, curling, pressing hard as he watched her face, her body trembling and shaking as he relentlessly brought her near orgasm again before pulling back again. 

“My girl likes my tongue,” he smirked up at her and she moaned, trying to bring it back to where she wanted it. “Don’t you?”

“Yes, so much,” she gasped, trembling under his touch. 

“Are you my girl, Betty?” he asked, his voice suddenly soft, gentle. She looked down and caught his gaze, saw the lust and dominance give way to desperate need for a moment and she nodded.

“Yes, Jug, I’m yours,” she whispered.

“Tell me again,” he demanded, the authority back again.

“I’m yours,” Betty cried. “I belong to you.”

“Damn right you do,” he growled, and she stopped caring about his order not to touch and her hands moved into his hair, pulling him back to her core and lifting to him and he laughed against her, his fingers curling and dragging along her inner wall and he latched over her clit, sucking hard and she splintered apart, her eyes rolling back in her head as her body bowed off the bed, shuddering with an orgasm so intense she felt like she was going to black out.

“Fuck,” he gasped at the way she tightened and his teeth bit into her thigh again and she cried out in ecstasy, her thighs clenching on his head as she rode out her high. Jughead moved onto his back and pulled her on top of him, his cock sliding through her folds that were dripping with wetness and she shuddered again as he rubbed against her. “Fuck me Betty,” he ordered. “Make me come.” Betty could barely form a coherent thought, much less ride him to orgasm and she took a moment to catch her breath and he waited patiently, stroking his hands along her thighs. She looked down at him and his eyes were dark with his own need to find release. She reached down and took him in her hand, shifting while she adjusted him and then slowly slid down on him, her head falling back as he stretched her, filling her to the brim. 

“You feel so good,” she whimpered, rotating her hips and feeling his fingers digging into her skin and she knew he was going to leave bruises and a thrill went through her. Marks on her body made from desire and love by his mouth and fingers. She rose up and lowered again, holding his gaze as she moved slowly, her flesh sensitive from being tormented and teased for so long. He let out a ragged breath, bucking up into her and she looked down, watching him fuck her, his cock sliding in and out, her body stretching for him like it was made just for him and despite the fact that she’d already had multiple orgasms, her body responded to what she was seeing and she moved a little faster, starting to flutter.

“Don’t come Betty,” he ordered, his own eyes on where their bodies were joined, his own breathing harsh and ragged.

“Please, Jug,” she begged, fighting to keep moving as he held her still. 

“No,” he growled. “Not until we come together,” he insisted, slowly fucking up into her again. Betty let out a sob, tightening her muscles around him, hoping to hurry him along. He let out a harsh groan and suddenly flipped them so she was on her back and he paused, pressed deep inside her.

“Fuck, Jughead!” she yelled.

“I am,” he said gruffly as he pulled out and then sank slowly back inside her. Betty wrapped her legs around him, lifting wildly to him. He shifted to his knees and grabbed her legs, pressing her knees back to her chest and started to move, faster and deeper, thrusting over and over, watching her body take him and then he looked at her face, the ecstasy, her eyes wide with lust, her fingers clawing at the sheets as she tried to anchor herself and he felt her body start to flutter. “Don’t come yet,” he gasped, dropping her legs and they fell wide as he braced his hands beside her head and slammed into her again and again, his own body racing toward release. 

“Jug, I’m begging you,” she sobbed, her legs starting to shake, her arms coming around him and her nails raking down his back. The sting mixed in with the pleasure pulsing through him and he dipped his head, sucking her nipple into his mouth and she arched into him, crying as he reached down and stroked her clit, his body unable to hold back anymore.

“Come with me,” he gasped against her skin, thrusting hard before taking her mouth in a dirty, wet kiss and Betty shattered, clamping down on him like a vice and he groaned loudly, holding still while she pulled on him.

“Fucking hell,” he gasped against her lips, her grip so tight he spilled into her before he started to move again, the pleasure racing through him like fiery flames. Jughead stayed still and let her body milk him, his orgasm so mind numbing he couldn’t even take a breath. She was sobbing and clinging to him and he started to move slowly, helping her ride out the end of her orgasm even as he still twitched and pulsed inside her. He tried to catch his breath, groaning against her neck as he collapsed on her. After a while he noticed she was crying and slowly pulled back. 

“Are you ok?” he asked gently, touching her face. She nodded and hiccupped, unable to speak. She pulled him back to her, her arms tightly around him and he relaxed against her as they lay quietly, their breathing slowly returning to normal. After a while she shifted and he slowly pulled out and moved to the side, resting on his elbow and gazing down at her. Her face was streaked with tears but her eyes were sated and relaxed. “I’ll be right back,” he smiled and she nodded as he left the bed and went into the bathroom. He came back carrying the water bowl and a wash cloth and set them down on the bedside table. 

“Jug, you don’t have to….”

“Shhhh,” he smiled and she lay back and watched him silently as he wet the wash cloth in the warm water and proceeded to wipe down her body, cleaning off the sheen of sweat that remained and carefully wiped between her legs, which despite all the dirty things they had done, still made her blush. By the time he finished, her eyes shimmered with tears. He put the rag down and she pulled him down for a slow, gentle kiss.

“I love you Jughead,” she whispered when he pulled back and he smoothed her hair off her forehead.

“I love you too, Betty,” he returned, his eyes smiling into hers. He got up and headed back to the bathroom with the water bowl and cloth and spent a few minutes cleaning himself up and then went back into the main area and grabbed the bag he brought along and carried it into the bedroom, pulling out a pair of clean boxers and putting them on. “Cheryl threw some things in here for you,” he mentioned. “You want anything to wear?

“I’m good,” she shrugged as she settled back against the headboard and pillows. Jughead went over to the table and poured them some champagne and brought the tray with the strawberries over to the bed and settled down next to her and handed her a glass.

“We didn’t really get to enjoy the champagne at the party, so I thought you’d like some now,” he said softly. Betty took it and sipped it as he grabbed a strawberry and held it to her mouth. She smiled and took a bite, sighing at the taste of the sweet fruit.

“Thank you, this is wonderful,” she said after she swallowed and he winked and fed her another.

“So, you all good?” he asked with a smile.

“So good,” she sighed, snuggling closer to him.

“So was that….was what I did what you needed?” he asked quietly. “It wasn’t too much.”

“It was so perfect,” Betty insisted. “Even better than anything I could have imagined.”

“Yeah?” he chuckled, unable to help his arrogant smirk.

“Are you telling me you’ve never ordered a woman around in bed?” she teased, her fingers lifting to touch his lips and he kissed them softly.

“Honey, I haven’t done half the shit I do with you ever in my life,” he replied honestly. Betty let out a giggle and grabbed another strawberry. 

“So before me sex was _meh_?” 

“Well, seeing as I wouldn’t be having sex for months or a year at a time, and haven’t been able to keep my hands off you since we started, yeah, I’d say before you it was pretty _meh_ ,” he shrugged. He looked at her and started to laugh at the smug arrogant look on her face. “You seem pretty proud of yourself,” he stated.

“I am,” she said coyly.

“You did amazing tonight, Betty,” he said softly. “We were all very impressed.”

“Thank you,” she said quietly, letting out a shaky sigh. She was quiet for a while, as if thinking about something and then turned to look at him. “What did we give the FBI?”

“What they wanted,” Jughead smirked. “The drive in the safe.”

“Yes, but is it what they think it is?”

“No, it’s not, but they’re too stupid to know that apparently,” he laughed. Betty shifted and gave him her full attention.

“Okay, please explain, because inside the safe Archie just threw the drive in his bag like it was worth nothing and then Pea did some weird crap at the wall and a panel opened and he copied something from a server he found in there.”

“Alright, well,” Jughead began. “When the feds first told us about the drive, I was talking with Pea and he thought it was strange that an organization dealing in so much criminal activity would just leave all their dealings just sitting in a safe where any idiot could break in if they wanted to bad enough. Archie immediately suggested that Amelin knew the feds were on to him and probably even knew there was a mole and he made a big show of this drive in the safe. Who would do that? Unless they were trying to find a rat.”

“But why have so much security and 4 different vaults to house a fake drive?” Betty asked in confusion.

“That’s the million dollar question, isn’t it? Well, it didn’t just house the drive, now did it? Pea researched that particular safe and the fun thing about them is that they often have hidden and secret compartments for things that need extra protection. They are built to owner’s specifications. He was able to hack the company that builds them and he found Amelin’s order. He had 5 different panels built into the walls; one of them was to house a server.”

“So you knew the info was probably on the server,” she observed, sounding impressed. “Wow, you guys know your shit.”

“After 6 years of stealing, you start to realize that things aren’t always what they seem,” Jughead shrugged.

“So, why didn’t you guys give the feds the real info?”

“Because we want to see it first, see what info would be beneficial to us and I’m pretty sure those assholes knew your brother was going to be there and they let us walk right into it,” he said angrily. “So, we’ll get what we need first while they screw around with a fake drive full of just enough info to keep them busy a couple of days and when they come for the real thing, I’ll hand it over, along with my fist in Keller’s face.”

“Can I have a turn?” she asked with a sigh. Jughead sipped his drink and studied her, his face turning serious after a moment.

“You’re doing okay?” he asked softly, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. She knew why he was asking and gave him a smile.

“Yes and thank you for taking care of me,” Betty said softly.

“I’ll always take care of you,” he promised. Betty put her glass back on the tray and he moved it to the side table and turned back to her as she snuggled into him. She shifted until she was curled completely against him, her head resting on his chest, his arms around her. “You tired?” he asked softly and she nodded and closed her eyes. It didn’t take her long and she was asleep.

Jughead lay awake staring at the ceiling and thinking for a good hour when his phone buzzed. He picked it up and felt his stomach clench. It was a text from Sweet Pea.

**You awake?**

_Did you find her?_ Jughead text back. Pea replied immediately.

**Yes, but it’s complicated.**

“Fuck,” Jughead sighed in frustration. He looked at Betty sleeping peacefully and he prayed that what they uncovered wasn’t bad news.

When then woke the next morning, neither of them wanted to return to reality so Jughead pushed it back a little and made love to her, slowly, thoroughly and they were both completely satisfied. They ordered breakfast and enjoyed the suite for a few more hours before it was time to go back home.

“This is such a beautiful room,” she sighed from the balcony as she looked out over the park. “Too bad it couldn’t be under happier more relaxed times.”

“I’ll bring you back again,” he promised against her hair as he held her. As soon as he fixed this mess, he was going to spend his life making her happy. She just smiled and he saw the weariness back in her face, reality like a slap they couldn’t duck. Jughead framed her face with his hands and kissed her. A slow lazy kiss that had her clinging to him as he stroked her tongue with his. “I love you,” he whispered when he pulled back, resting his forehead on hers.

“I love you too,” she whispered back. 

“Let’s get back to safe ground,” he sighed, pulling away and taking her hand to lead her through the suite. He hoped the night had grounded her enough to keep her mind from thinking too much about Chic. He had done his best to make sure she had better things to think about.

 

Back at Serpent Headquarters, Betty went off to find Toni and Cheryl to put her things back in the vault and Jughead went to find Pea. He was in the computer room, studying screens full of information. 

“Where’s Archie?” he asked as he sat down and lit a cigarette.

“He went to Ava’s last night. Isn’t back yet,” Pea replied, lighting his own smoke. Jughead looked at him in surprise.

“He still doing that?”

“Yup, I think the idiot actually likes her,” he laughed.

“Well, as long as he manages to keep all his parts I guess,” Jughead shrugged. “Usually she’s interested in what she can get from the person and not the person themselves, so good luck to him. Now, tell me what you found. Where is Betty’s sister?”

“You have no idea the shit that’s on here Jughead. And the names. So many fucking names, it’s mind blowing. This things goes higher than _we_ even want to know and frankly, I’m doing my best not to look at any of it. All I looked for is Polly and I’ll leave the rest of the mess for the feds to sort out.” 

“So where is she?”

“Europe,” Pea replied.

“I figured as much,” Jughead sighed. “If Chic was to sell her, he’d want her as far away as possible. Does it say where Betty was supposed to go?”

“Same guy,” Pea said quietly.

“Seriously?”

“Well, this is why it’s complicated. He wanted Betty, for a huge discount and he got it, because Polly somehow managed to escape.”

“What?”

“With this man’s son.”

“So we have no idea where she is?”

“None but according to the files here, he is still actively searching for her. Amelin is definitely the top dog here and has meticulous details, even phone calls and emails. It’s all here, every last transaction and everything that’s happened. Even how they die, if they die.”

“And Chic?”

“He’s definitely the big shot when it comes to getting girls. His are the most sought after and the man he sold Polly and Betty to is one of the worst. He got off on torture so it’s safe to say that Polly probably suffered some at his hand. His son apparently discovered what he was doing and got Polly out. I’m assuming they are keeping themselves well hidden.”

“Anything else?”

“All Chic’s numbers, places he lives and there are a lot. He answers to Amelin.”

“Is the number Archie found on Ava’s phone still one of his numbers?”

“Yup. And according to the description, it is his drug business number, so she was telling the truth.”

“How many places does he bounce around to?”

“27.”

“Jesus Christ,” Jughead sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Well, I guess we’ll stake out 27 places until we find the fucker.”

“You don’t think he’ll be back where Reggie is?”

“No. He’s seen me now and I’m sure he knows about the heist. He’ll move again.”

“Are you going to tell Betty?” Pea asked softly. Jughead was quiet a while, studying the screens and feeling sickened by what he saw. According to the info, Chic was responsible for multiple deaths as well as sales.

“No,” Jughead said quietly. “Not until he’s dead. Once he’s dead, I’ll tell her and I’ll help her find Polly.”

“How are you going to do that?”

“We’ll spread the word that she’s safe and can come home and hope she hears it,” Jughead explained. “This will hit the news at some point and it will be all over.”

“Are you sure about that, Jug?” Pea asked sadly. “There are big names in here. No way will they allow this to go public.” 

“Then we’ll make sure it does,” he shrugged and Sweet Pea smiled. He hoped they were all good and relocated before Jughead pissed off the world.

 

“Are you okay honey?” Cheryl asked after she ushered Betty into the apartment. “I was so worried about you last night.”

“I’m alright,” Betty shrugged as she sat on the couch. “Jughead took my mind off things.”

“I bet he did,” Toni smirked as she sat on the chair. “Seriously though, we were worried because you were heading into a panic attack when you saw him. I can’t imagine what that must have been like, seeing that monster again.”

“What did he say?” Betty asked.

“What?” Cheryl asked, looking at Toni.

“Chic. What did he say to Jughead? I realized after that my ear piece had been taken out once I managed to calm down. I’m assuming he did it and I didn’t question him about it because I didn’t want to think of my brother last night at the hotel.”

“Well, he didn’t say a whole lot, I guess. Just called him stupid and Jughead just kind of…”

“Just kind of what?”

“I don’t know, provoked him a little. They quotes some bible stuff to each other, made threats, I guess he knew nothing would happen with so many people around. Promised to put him in the ground,” Toni said quietly.

“Did Chic say anything about me?”

“Betty…”

“Tell me.”

“He basically just accused Jughead of taking his property and Jughead informed him that you belonged to nobody but that if you wanted him, he’d be happy to let you own him and Chic called him a moron for falling in love with you and…” Cheryl trailed off.

“And what?”

“He said he needed you back,” Toni finished softly. Betty nodded and looked down at her clenched hands in her lap. Of course he did.

“So, he won’t give up. He won’t stop until…”

“Betty, stop it,” Cheryl said quickly, sitting beside her and wrapping her arm around her shoulder. “Jughead will never let him get anywhere near you. You know that right?”

“But what if he kills Jughead?” Betty whispered brokenly, tears spilling over and trailing down her cheeks.

“Betty, that won’t happen.” 

“You don’t know that!” Betty yelled angrily. “What about the traitor? Someone is feeding him information, Cheryl.”

“I know, Betty,” Cheryl said, her own eyes filling with tears. “And I’m so sorry but you need to have faith in Jughead that he won’t let Chic…”

“I can’t,” Betty inturrupted. “I have no faith left in anything. I am to terrified to have faith in anything,” she cried. She pulled away and got up, hurrying out of the apartment.

“Shit,” Cheryl muttered, sighing in frustration. 

“I’ll let Jug know,” Toni said quietly.

“No, don’t,” Cheryl said with a shake of her head. “Just let her feel it and work through it. Jughead can’t always run and fix everything. I think she’d probably just get angry if we told him to come help her. She’s stronger than we give her credit for. Yes, she’s struggling but she knows how to get herself through.”

“Fine, but if he catches wind of this and comes to yell at you for not calling him, don’t drag me into it.”

“Jughead can bite me,” Cheryl grumbled and Toni let out a laugh.

 

Jughead got back to the apartment a couple of hours later and found Betty curled up on the couch, staring at the window. He put the papers he had down on the counter and slowly walked over and sat down. 

“You okay?” he asked quietly. She looked at him and let out an angry huff.

“Did Cheryl send you?” she asked, her voice tinged with annoyance.

“Um, no. Why would Cheryl send me? I live here.”

“Nevermind,” Betty said quietly, looking away.

“What happened?” Jughead asked. “Talk to me.”

“Why did you take the COM out of my ear when you approached Chic?” she asked. Jughead looked at her in surprise.

“You were having a panic attack. I didn’t think hearing his voice was going to help any,” he explained. 

“Right, I guess that makes sense. He threatened you?”

“Yeah, that was to be expected,” Jughead confirmed.

“And he’s going to keep trying to get me back?”

“He won’t succeed.”

“That’s what everyone keeps telling me,” Betty laughed, getting off the couch and starting to pace. 

“Betty…”

“I’m scared, Jug,” she blurted. “You don’t know what Chic is capable of.”

“Actually, I do. That info we got showed a lot.”

“Then you know how evil he is,” Betty said hoarsely. “He may have locked me up but I saw it in his eyes every time he came to see me. Of course Penny loved to tell me stories when he killed someone. I was around them for years. They are sick and…” Jughead could see she was working herself in a panic and he went to her and rested his hands on her shoulders. 

“Take a breath,” he urged.

“We could leave,” she said quickly. “Jug we could leave and he’d never find us and we could just forget and…”

“Forget? Are you serious right now?” Jughead asked, finding himself getting a little angry. “Betty, I’m not going to just forget everything he did.

“Jughead, I am scared for your life,” she pleaded. “You don’t need to avenge me.”

“This isn’t just about you, Betty,” Jughead fumed. “He shot my sister and had her thrown in the river,” he finished in a shout. Betty stepped back, her hands clenched and her eyes filling with tears.

“Right,” she whispered quickly, nodding her head. “I’m sorry you’re right. I didn’t mean to imply that it was all about me.” She hurried around him and down the hall, disappearing into the bathroom and locking the door.

“Fuck,” Jughead muttered, wiping his hand over his face. He hadn’t meant to shout at her and her fear of Chic was very real and no matter how amazing their night had been, it was obvious that her brother was all she could think about. He walked over to the bathroom and knocked softly. “Betty, open up please,” he pleaded. It took a few moments but eventually he heard the lock click and she opened the door, and he felt his heart break at the look on her face. “I’m sorry,” he sighed. She shook her head and threw her arms around his neck, pulling herself into him.

“Don’t be sorry,” she whispered tearfully against his neck. “I’m the one who’s sorry.” Jughead wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly, feeling her tremble against him and he kissed her hair, her temple, her cheek. 

“No, there is no need, okay?” he whispered. “We are both on edge and yes, things are unsure right now and a little frightening, but we’ll get through this Betty.”

“How do you know?” she asked, wetting his neck with her tears.

“Because we have to,” he said firmly. “Because we’re not going to let him win and because when this is all finished, you will still be with me because I don’t want to do life now without you.” Her arms tightened when he said that and he smiled against her hair. 

“Promise me that you’ll be careful,” she pleaded.

“I promise!” he said fervently. 

“Okay,” she sighed, snuggling against him. “You smell good,” she whispered after a while and he chuckled as he gave her a squeeze.

“What do I smell like?”

“Tobacco and scotch and my body lotion.”

“Well, I did rub myself all over you this morning,” he teased. She leaned back and he kissed her until she sagged against him and the tears were gone from her eyes. 

“I’m hungry,” she stated when he pulled away and Jughead laughed.

“What would you like to eat?”

“Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, a good salad, maybe some corn and some pie for dessert,” Betty rattled off and then giggled at the look on his face. “We can order it from that place you like.”

“Thank god,” he sighed. “That would take me hours to make. You good?” he asked, brushing her hair back and smiling down at her.

“Yeah,” she said softly. “I’m just truly happy and thankful that you found me.”

“Me too,” Jughead smiled and kissed her again. When he pulled back she was smiling as well.

“Feed me,” she demanded.

“Ahhh yes,” he sighed. “Come on then my sexy garburator; let’s get some food in your face hole.” Betty laughed out loud and for the moment, the calm was back.

 

The following day, earlier than expected, Keller and Mason showed up. Jughead was in the meeting room with Sweet Pea when Archie sent him a text that the feds had shown up and didn’t look too pleased. 

“Fucking pricks,” Jughead muttered as he text back to bring them to the meeting room. He was waiting at the door and as soon as Agent Keller walked through it, he was met with Jughead’s fist in his jaw.

“What the fuck?” Mason snapped, pulling his gun and pointing it at Jughead, who stepped back with his hands raised, his face furious. “You got a bad fucking temper Jones, and that shit will land you in prison.”

“He’s lucky I didn’t fucking kill him,” Jughead snapped, watching Kevin pick himself up off the floor. The agent was as angry as Jughead.

“You want to explain this bullshit drive you handed off to us?” he snapped, throwing it on the table, not even caring about the punch. 

“Do you want to explain to me why you didn’t tell us Chic Cooper was going to be there?” Jughead snapped back. Keller looked like a deer caught in the headlights and then let out a big sigh. He looked at Mason and motioned with his hand to lower his gun and he put it back in its holster.

“I was afraid you weren’t going to do the heist if you knew.”

“We would have done it but we would have prepared differently! And I sure as hell wouldn’t have let Betty join us,” Jughead yelled before he realized what he was saying.

“Jug!” Archie snapped, glaring at him.

“Fuck,” Jughead muttered, running a hand through his hair before pulling out his smokes and lighting one up. All this bullshit was turning him into a chimney.

“Wait, what?” Keller asked. “You took Betty Cooper? Did you just incriminate her?” Jughead clenched his fist and took a step toward him. Mason reached for his gun and Keller waved him off. 

“Leave your fucking gun where it is, you trigger happy piece of shit,” Pea growled, looking like he wanted to throw the agent through the window.

“Don’t even think about making a file of any kind on her,” Jughead said to Kevin. “She helped us with the safe and she has nothing else to do with it and she certainly doesn’t need to be investigated.”

“Jughead, when we bring in Chic, she is going to have to come forward and tell us all she knows and she’s going to have to testify when he goes to trial,” Mason said. Jughead looked at him and smirked.

“I’m sorry, did you say _when you bring Chic in_?”

“Let’s leave that topic alone for now,” Keller sighed. “Tell me why that drive is nothing but shit.”

“Because that’s what was on it,” Jughead said. “Do you honestly think these people would leave that shit lying around like that for someone to steal. I’m pretty sure Amelin knew you had an inside man. If he isn’t pulled, you better do it now or he’s dead.”

“So we didn’t get anything?” Keller asked angrily.

“Oh, I didn’t say that, but since you feds don’t seem to know your head from your ass, we decided to let you figure it out yourself.”

“So you went in knowing that the drive was a decoy?” Kevin asked. “How did you know you’d find anything?”

“We did research, it’s how we work,” Pea informed him. Jughead proceeded to explain all they learned and how they knew where the real information was and by the time he was done, the feds looked impressed.

“Wow, we definitely picked the right team. And I suppose you looked at the info?”

“Yes and I suggest you brace yourself because this won’t be as easy as you think,” Jughead replied, handing Kevin the drive with the real info on it.

“Is there information on the other Cooper girl on here?” the agent asked.

“There is; and I trust you’ll pull out all the stops to get her home?” Jughead asked.

“I’ll do my best,” Kevin said as he pocketed the drive.

“Yeah, sounds promising.”

“Now, about Chic…” 

“Keller, as soon as you look at that drive you’ll realize he’s the least of your problems and don’t worry about him, he’ll be just fine,” Jughead informed him with a cold smile. The agent straightened and rubbed his jaw with a sigh. “So, our work for you guys is done now, right?”

“Yeah, yeah it’s done. You held up your end of the bargain, so this…” he started, handing him a thick file he pulled from his case. “Is yours. But make no mistake, we’ll be watching and the director has informed me that you have two months to get out of the country and if any of you are still around after that, you’ll be arrested and prosecuted. Are we clear?”

“We’ll do it in a month if you do something for me.”

“Why would that sway me to do anything else? That isn’t leverage,” Kevin said with a raised eyebrow. Jughead just stared at him and waited and the agent sighed.

“What?”

“Leave Betty out of all of this and she’s coming with us, no interference from you.”

“Fine. Looks like you’ve corrupted her anyway. If I need anything else in the next month, I know where to find you,” Keller concluded and then walked out with Mason. Jughead stood for a minute, tapping his knuckle on the table, deep in thought.

“Arch?”

“Yeah?” 

“Tonight, I need you to break into FP and Tall Boy’s apartments and get their phones. Pea, I want you to clone them. I want to know where every call and text goes from here on out until this is done.”

“You think one of them is the traitor?” Pea asked in surprise. 

“They are the only two who would like to see me unseated as leader,” Jughead explained.

“But you said you asked your father and you believed him.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t anymore. Can you do it?”

“Consider it done,” Pea said with a nod. After he left, Archie studied Jughead for a moment before speaking.

“What are you going to do if it’s one of them?”

“Whoever it is, if I ever find them, they’re dead,” Jughead said without feeling.

“Even if it’s FP?”

“Especially if it’s FP,” Jughead said flatly and walked out of the room.

“Shit,” Archie muttered, wiping a hand over his face. Jughead was starting to spin and he hoped it didn’t cause a son to kill his father.

 

 

Jughead was just getting to sleep, his arms wrapped around Betty when his phone rang. He frowned, knowing if it was a call and not a text, it was urgent. He grabbed it and hit answer.

“Yeah…”

“Reggie wants to see us,” Archie said on the other end.

“Now? It’s fucking one in the morning?”

“He says it’s urgent and we need to come now. Same place. The bridge.”

“Alright, give me 10 and wake Fangs.” The line went dead and Jughead sighed and sat up.

“Jug?” Betty murmured, looking up at him.

“I have to go,” he said softly. “Emergency meeting with Reggie.” He could see she was a little panicked and leaned down to kiss her. “We’ll take Fangs and secure the area before we close in, please don’t worry, Reggie is on our side.”

“Are you sure?”

“Almost completely,” he said with a small smile. “I promise I’ll be back.” She pulled him down and kissed him again, desperately. “I love you,” he whispered against her mouth.

“I love you too,” she whispered back. 

 

“I have until tomorrow or he’s going to kill me,” Reggie blurted as soon as they cleared the area and pulled Reggie into the van and drove off. Just in case.

“What are you talking about?” Archie asked.

“Chic. He came back from the benefit furious and wanted to know why I hadn’t found you yet. He was in a rage, fucking knocked me out. Said if I didn’t bring you to him by tomorrow, he was going to kill me and Jughead, he will!” Reggie exclaimed.

“God dammit,” Jughead fumed, bouncing his leg as he thought.

“I know where he’s going to be tomorrow.” 

“Where?”

“The warehouse on 75th. It’s a deserted butcher warehouse and one of their safe places. There’s a meeting of some sort and they’re all going to start showing up at 9:30,” Reggie explained.

“How do you know?”

“Well, he knocked me out and when I came to, I heard them talking and I stayed still and pretended to still be unconscious, mostly because I wasn’t sure he wouldn’t actually kill me right then. He was talking with Malachi and I heard everything.” Jughead looked at Archie.

“What do you think?”

“How many people will be there?” Archie asked.

“I have no idea,” Reggie answered. “Past meetings have been anywhere from 8 to 16.”

“We could work with that,” Fangs piped in. “If we take the usual team and add a couple more, with the element of surprise, we can take them.”

“If we show up before them?” Jughead suggested.

“I think it’s our best chance,” Archie nodded. “We can finally put this fucker down.” Jughead looked back at Reggie.

“What do you think?”

“Well, of course I’m all for the plan or I’m a dead man, so unless you get me out of here right now, I say do it.”

“Well, we can,” Jughead shrugged. “You don’t need to go back.”

“No, I want to go back and help you. It’s the least I can do after all the shit ive done and for Jellybean.”

“How are you going to help?”

“I’ll let Chic know that I found you and where you’ll be. This way, you can choose the location and be waiting when he shows up.”

“No, that doesn’t work, he’ll come with more men and guns then. I want them completely unaware.”

“Not if I make it like you’re all cocky and coming alone. Chic thinks he’s superior to everyone and would want to put on a show to his associates. He won’t bring extra help. That would show weakness. But it doesn’t matter anyway. You’ll be there first and you can bring as many men as you want and be waiting for him.”

“Alright, tell him I’ll be at the bridge warehouse here and waiting to meet you. We’ll be there at 8:00, give us plenty of time to set up and wait. Understood?” Jughead asked.

“Understood.”

 

A few hours later, in an early morning emergency meeting in the lounge, 18 Serpents gathered and agreed with Jughead on a plan that had been drawn out to once and for all, do away with Chic Cooper. Nobody noticed the shadow listening and then quietly slipping away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the next chapter is going to be a big one....violent, deadly, things completely fall apart, so i'm warning you now. Also, it may be the most challenging chapter ive ever written and it might flow easy, or it might take a while, so if the next update takes long, that's why....but who knows, maybe i'll be good at writing shit hitting the fan. Stay tuned!!!


	23. Ambush

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **TRIGGER WARNING:** gun violence, major character death, there's blood, violence a la fists, mental break
> 
> I am truly sorry for what's about to transpire but it's been planned from the beginning, it couldn't be changed or the story would have had to change, and it's very important to bring all things to a head.....
> 
>  
> 
> please forgive me.... :(
> 
> I also hope it flows smoothly and doesn't seem rushed since the words seemed to rush out of me today.

Betty woke up to the sound of Belle singing a song. The little blue bird was jumping around in her cage sitting next to Betty’s side of the bed and seeming like she was very much enjoying the sunshine. She rolled over and smiled and watched for a few minutes before she realized that she was alone in bed. Jughead had left at one in the morning and it appeared that he still hadn’t returned and she sat up quickly, panic setting in. 

They had been going to meet with Reggie. Why wasn’t he back yet? She grabbed for the phone that he had given her a couple of weeks before so she could text him whenever she wanted, and while she hadn’t used it all that much, she did on occasion ask him where he was if he’d been MIA for a while. She quickly sent one.

 **Where are you?**

He answered almost immediately.

_In the meeting room going over some things with Archie. I’ll be up soon, babe._

Betty breathed a sigh of relief and lay back on the bed, noting that it was 8:30. He hadn’t slept and she wondered what was going on. She grabbed the book from his side of the bed and paged through it, noting how well worn it was and she smiled. There were so many things about him that she loved and his love of books was one of them. The man was reading every chance he got, which lately hadn’t been a lot and she’d often wake up in the middle of the night to see him catching a few minutes to read a few pages.

Twenty minutes later, she heard him come in and after shuffling around a bit, he came into the bedroom and literally just flopped onto the bed and fell asleep. Betty stared at him in surprise and let out a quiet laugh, pulling the blankets up around him and tucked herself against his side, pulling his arm around her. She didn’t think she would ever tire of his touch, or him holding her and she fell asleep listening to his soft breathing in her ear. A few hours later she woke again just as Jughead was stirring and she shifted so she was facing him.

“Hi babe,” he yawned, his voice gruff with sleep. 

“Hi,” she smiled, kissing his cheek. He turned his head to catch her mouth and sighed as he pulled her close. “Is everything alright?” she asked when he pulled away. “You were gone the entire night; I was worried when I woke earlier.”

“I’m sorry, we had a bit of an emergency,” he explained, pulling her on top of him.

“What kind? What did Reggie want?” Betty asked curiously and he was quiet awhile, just studying her face before he spoke.

“We’re going after Chic tonight,” he said softly. Betty reared up in shock and scrambled off him, kneeling on the bed. “Betty…”

“Jug,” she gasped, shaking her head. “I don’t want you to go.” Jughead sat up and pulled her close.

“I know,” he murmured, stroking her back. “But I have to. I’m not going to send my men after him alone.”

“I’m scared,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him close. Jughead shifted back against the headboard and pulled her onto his lap, sighing heavily as he could feel her fear. “Is Reggie helping you?”

“Yes, he told us where Chic would be and we devised a plan to get him someplace else. He’s going to tell your brother that I want to meet him and we’ll be waiting when they come.”

She only nodded and he could feel her tears on his neck. The truth was, they were all apprehensive but every single Serpent joining him had pledged to join the fight and no matter what happened, they were in this until the end. He had given them a choice and he wouldn’t hold their decision against them and not one of them had backed out. Chic Cooper had hurt the family when he’d almost killed JB and they weren’t going to let him get away with it. Now that they all considered Betty part of the family as well, it was a double dose of revenge.

“Are Cheryl and Toni going?” she asked after a while.

“Toni is,” he replied softly. “Cheryl chose to stay behind with you.”

“I don’t need a babysitter,” Betty sighed, disgruntled.

“For support, Betty, not to babysit.” She said nothing and they just sat in silence for a while, breathing each other in. His hand kept a gentle stroke on her back and she pressed as close as she could. “What are you thinking about?” he asked softly.

“The fact that before today is over, you will have possibly killed someone,” she whispered. Jughead eased her back and studied her face. “Have you ever?”

“No, I’ve never killed anyone,” he said quietly.

“And if you come face to face with him? What if you can’t?”

“I don’t think it will be a problem,” Jughead said with a shake of his head. “He doesn’t deserve to breathe air.” Betty touched her hand to his face and traced his skin with her thumb.

“It’s taking a life, Jug. Whether he is horrible or evil or whatever, it’s still taking a life. Killing someone, I’m thinking, is not an easy thing to do. I don’t want it to become this heavy thing in your life. Something you’ll always remember and be haunted by.”

“You’ll help me forget,” he murmured, leaning into her touch.

“I’m terrified,” she whispered, the anguish in her voice. “What if it doesn’t go right and you’re the one who ends up dead?” she cried. “I don’t know what I would do if something happened to you. I just want you to come back to me.”

“I’ll do everything I know how to do to come back to you, Betty.”

“But you can’t actually just promise that you will,” she noticed tearfully.

“I shouldn’t have told you,” he whispered, pulling her close and kissing her temple. “I wish….i don’t know what I wish,” Jughead sighed.

“You can wish like I did the other night at the hotel. That it was a different life and we were on a wonderful date that ended with a romantic hotel suite,” she sniffled.

“That sounds perfect,” he smiled into her hair. “We’ll do that soon,” Jughead continued, taking their minds to dreams and away from reality. “I’ll draw you that bubble bath next time and join you in it. Maybe feed you the strawberries while we’re in there.”

“That sounds nice,” she sighed. “Maybe you could lick the champagne off of me,” Betty suggested and he groaned against her hair, the images slamming into his brain. He moved and lay her back on the sheets, his mouth taking hers in hungry kiss. It was eager and needy and the uncertainty that hung in the air made them desperate for each other and for a precious small while, they could only think of each other, with soft _I love you’s_ floating around them.

 

 

“How’s Betty?” Archie asked quietly as he walked with Jughead to the vault where the other Serpents were heading. 

“Worried,” Jughead sighed, lighting a cigarette as they walked. They had kept things quiet and nobody knew of the plan to ambush Chic. Pea, Fangs, Toni and the rest were already waiting for them and laying weapons on the table. Jughead picked up a glock and checked it, making sure it was working and he glanced up at Toni who was checking her own gun.

“You don’t have to come,” he said softly and she looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Are you gonna spout some bullshit about me being a woman and shouldn’t be involved in a man’s fight?”

“No,” Jughead said with a laugh. “Frankly, you’re a better shot than most of us and I’d rather not be on the receiving end of that. I just know that Cheryl is going to be worried out of her mind.”

“Like Betty is with you? Or JB with Pea? I’m going; end of story.” Jughead nodded and tucked his gun in the back of his jeans and pulled his jacket on.

“Alright guys. I understand we all want a piece of this guy and we’ll do our best to take him alive but if it looks like he’s going to get away, I don’t care who does it. Put him down,” Jughead ordered. 

They all agreed and finished up with their weapons and then headed down to the garage. They had decided to run the tunnels and take the car and van parked in the other building because now that their work for the feds was done, they were back to being watched to make sure they leave. Once they made it to their vehicles, they piled into the van and Archie, Jughead and Sweet Pea took the car and they headed out.

 

Betty answered the knock on the apartment door and found Cheryl standing there.

“Hey,” she said quietly, stepping aside to let her in. “Jughead told me you were staying behind. You didn’t have to.”

“Yeah, I did,” Cheryl said with a shrug as she moved to sit on the couch. “I’m not really keen on joining them to take down the bad guy,” she shrugged. “As much as I hate him for what he’s done, im more into stealing his shit than stealing his life. I’ll leave that up to the rest.”

“Toni doesn’t mind going in on that?” Betty asked, sitting next to her.

“Toni grew up running the streets with the Serpents. Before Jughead steered us away from drugs and guns, she saw her fair share of violence and deals gone bad. She’s never actually killed anyone but has been in a shootout before.”

“Yeah, Jughead said he’s never killed anyone either. I just don’t want something like this to haunt him,” Betty said sadly, wrapping her arms around her legs.

“Yeah, but I don’t think you can talk Jughead out of this anymore. His main goal is to rid the world of Chic Cooper and nothing will stop him.” 

“I’m scared, Cheryl,” Betty whispered, tears filling her eyes. She wiped at them angrily. “And I’m so sick of crying. I mean, I’m free from Chic, I know…I know in my heart he can’t hurt me anymore but I’m still scared and I’m scared for Jug. God, I love him so much; I don’t know what I’ll do if something happens to him.”

“I’m scared too, Betty,” Cheryl admitted. “That’s my girl out there with him. I want them all to come back. Why don’t we go down to the lounge and have some drinks while we wait; try to calm our nerves a little.”

“Okay,” Betty agreed and they headed downstairs.

 

Jughead drove the car to the warehouse and he pulled over down the street, watching as the other vehicle pulled in behind him. He surveyed the area and checked his watch. They had a good couple of hours before Chic was scheduled to show and he looked at Archie and Pea.

“What do you think, guys?” he asked with a sigh. “We doing this?”

“Well, if you aren’t, I am,” Pea said seriously, lighting a cigarette and handing them all one. They sat smoking in silence for a while until Jughead had to crack a window because the smoke was too thick.

“Did you get anything on the phones you cloned?” Jughead asked.

“Nothing that would indicate FP or Tall Boy being a traitor. So if one of them is a traitor, either they have a different phone or they don’t use them when they fuck us over,” Pea explained.

“You having second thoughts?” Archie asked, flicking his finished smoke out the window.

“No, definitely not. The sooner this shit is over, the sooner we can get on with our lives and get the hell out of here,” Jughead sighed. He started the car again and they drove up the street and pulled into the vast warehouse complex. He had told Reggie they would set up in the third one on the left and he was waiting for them, wanting to be with them rather than Chic when things went down. They got out of the car and looked around, looking for any sign that something was out of place.

“You told Chic I was going to be here?” Jughead asked as he surveyed the warehouse.

“Yes, told him to be here by 10:00 so that gives you guys some time to get in position,” Reggie said as they headed for the door.

“Is he bringing men?” Archie asked.

“Probably a few but I’m thinking not as many as you guys.”

They walked into the warehouse and saw it was full of old equipment and boxes with lots of places to hole up and hide. Jughead paused and looked around, trying to find a good place to trap Chic and Toni walked up beside him.

“Something feels off,” she said with a frown.

“How so?” he asked, as he watched everyone fan out. Reggie and Archie walked over and she shook her head.

“I don’t know. It seems too quiet or something.”

“It’s a deserted warehouse,” Reggie said in confusion. “Of course it’s quiet.” Jughead looked at Toni.

“I don’t know,” she sighed. “Maybe I’m just paranoid knowing there is a traitor, but I’m just getting a feeling.”

“Alright, everyone pull back,” Jughead called out and the Serpents paused in confusion. 

“Are you serious?” Pea asked, not liking the idea. 

“Look, we’ve been doing this shit a long time and whenever someone gets a feeling of something being off, we pull back. It’s no different now,” Jughead explained. “Toni feels off, so we pull back.” 

“Fuck,” Pea muttered and turned to leave. 

The shot that rang out took them all by surprise. Jughead looked down at his shirt in confusion at the red suddenly splattered across it and then at Reggie lying on the ground, his eyes vacant, blood pooling under him. It took only a second to register Toni screaming at him and Archie shoving him behind some cover.

“What the fuck?” he gasped, grabbing for his gun and readying the clip. He looked over at Reggie and banged his head back against the box behind him in frustration. “Fuck!” All hell broke loose then and the Serpents all scrambled for cover and from where he was crouched, everyone in his line of sight made it. 

“How the fuck did they know we were coming now?” Pea yelled as he clipped his gun.

“Reggie?” Toni asked, firing her weapon in the general direction of where the shots were coming from.

“He wouldn’t have met us here then,” Jughead shook his head. “No, they knew he was a traitor or that shot would have hit me.” They all stared at him, suddenly realizing what they had walked into and what could have happened. 

“Someone back home knew we were coming here,” Toni said furiously. “It can’t be anyone here, can it?”

“I don’t fucking know,” Jughead growled, ducking down further when wood splintered near his head, a shot coming a little too close. “We’re sitting ducks. We have to get the fuck out of here!”

“Jughead!” Fangs call from across the warehouse sounded frantic.

“Stay down Fangs!”

“I’m hit! Got one in the leg!”

“Fuck! Tie it off!” Pea yelled back and Jughead felt his anger burn into a fury. He needed to get them out of there because there was no way they would get the upper hand.

“I can’t fucking see anybody,” Toni yelled as she scanned the back of the warehouse. 

“We need to get out and we need to get out now,” Archie yelled, firing his gun with Jughead toward the back. They couldn’t see a fucking thing but it was clear there was a lot of guns trained on them.

“Fangs?”

“Yeah boss?”

“How are you doing?”

“I’m alright, got it tied off and the bleeding is minimal. Hurts like a mother fucker though.”

“You have a way out?”

“I can’t see anything except the way we came and if we go that way, we’re wide open.”

“Jesus Christ,” Jughead snapped. 

The shooting suddenly stopped and everyone just kind of froze and waited.

“Jughead Jones!” 

Jughead recognized the voice and clenched his jaw in anger.

“You’re a dead man, Chic.”

“No, I believe that’s Reggie; that slimy traitorous fuck,” Chic called out. “You might want to have a look at your own ranks for your own traitor, who was so helpful this morning, telling me all about your plans and how Reggie has been fucking me over. Imagine that, a former snake.” Jughead looked at Archie and his look told him he was just as furious. “Now, you’re probably wondering why you aren’t all dead yet,” Chic continued. “This was just for fun, so you know that you can’t beat me and you never will.”

“Maybe you’re all just bad fucking shots,” Jughead called out angrily. 

“If i had wanted you dead, you’d be dead. You were standing out in the open; even you know we aren’t that bad. The shot to Reggie was pretty dead on.” Jughead gritted his teeth and looked over at the fallen man again. He had promised to get him out. He had earned it and now he was dead.

“So why aren’t we dead then?” Jughead asked.

“I’m a proud man, Jughead. I like to do my own killing and having you gunned down in a hail of bullets isn’t satisfying enough and I want my sister back.”

“Fuck you.”

“Take your snakes and get the fuck out of here. You’ll be hearing from me.”

“How exactly?” Jughead called back.

“Don’t worry about it. Now get out before I change my mind.” 

Jughead stayed where he was for a few minutes, furious that he had no choice but to leave with his Serpents. 

“Let’s go,” Archie said quietly. “We’ll figure out another way.” Jughead nodded and scanned the warehouse.

“Wait, what if he’s lying,” Toni asked nervously.

“He’s not,” Jughead assured her, knowing that Chic wanted him one on one. “Everyone, make your way to the door,” he called up, turning with gun raised and watching while his men started backing toward the exit. He waited with Archie and Pea until everyone was clear before moving slowly to safety. They were at the door when Chic spoke again.

“Wait Jughead, I forgot your parting gift,” he laughed and then a couple shots rang out again and Archie jerked, his eyes widening in surprise as he looked down at the blood suddenly seeping through his shirt.

“No!” Jughead cried, grabbing him as he fell forward. 

“Oh fuck,” Archie gasped, holding his hand over his abdomen, trying in vain to stop the blood.

“You mother fucker,” Jughead yelled, wildly shooting toward the back of the warehouse, about to run in that direction when Pea grabbed him.

“Jughead no,” he cried out, pulling him back. “We need to get Archie out of here.” Jughead heard the evil laughter and everything in him burned with anger and he stumbled back to Archie who had sunk to the floor, his eyes glazed with pain. 

“Come on man, hang on,” Jughead said quickly, wrapping an arm around him and lifting him as they helped him from the warehouse.

“What the fuck?” Toni cried, running up to them and grabbing Archie, her eyes filling with tears.

“Bring the car,” Jughead yelled at Pea, who raced off the get it. Jughead pressed his hand over Archie’s wounds, trying to help him stop the bleeding. “Hang on man,” he pleaded as Archie gasped for breath.

“God dammit,” the red head breathed, tears rolling down his face. He was shaking, his hand gripping Jughead’s. “You get that fucker Jughead,” he gasped.

“Shut the hell up, Archie, we’ll get him together,” Jughead insisted as Pea raced up with the car. “The rest of you get back in the van and head home,” he ordered.

“No fucking way,” Toni snapped. “I’m coming to the hospital with you. We need to get Fangs there as well.”

“Okay, get him in the car, Pea, get Archie in the front. The rest of you, go home. They will inform the cops of a shooting at the hospital and none of you should be there. Toni, please go with them, I don’t want Cheryl or Betty hearing about this from someone else.”

“Jug…”

“I said, go!” he snapped. Toni didn’t argue and ran to the van with the others and Jughead climbed in the driver’s seat that Pea had vacated for the back seat with Fangs and he pushed it, rushing towards the hospital. 

“Hang on Arch,” he said, his voice choking as he looked over at him. There was so much blood and Archie was so deathly pale. “Fuck,” he whispered as he sped through traffic, going as fast as he could manage. He reached over and helped Archie press where the blood flowed, his friend’s strength weakening and unable to stench the flow much. Jughead hit the call button on the dash screen and called Midge who picked up on the second ring.

“Jug?” she answered, recognizing his number.

“Midge, we have a problem,” he hurried out. “I’m about 10 minutes out and I have Archie and Fangs, both with gun shot wounds.”

“What the fuck, Jughead,” she gasped. 

“Fangs is in the leg and seems to be okay, but Arch…” he looked over at him again, barely conscious. “Arch is bad, Midge. He’s got two shots to the abdomen and he’s losing a lot of blood.”

“We’ll be ready, Jug,” she said quickly. “Hurry.”

“Jug,” Archie managed to breath out, opening his eyes and looking at him. “If this goes bad…”

“Stop it!” Jughead snapped, not daring to even think in that direction. 

“Let me say it Jug,” Archie said weakly. “Please.” Jughead clenched his jaw and nodded.

“I don’t….I don’t regret any of it,” he gasped, letting out a cough. Jughead felt tears sting his eyes when he saw Archie’s lips tinged with blood. “Everything we’ve done, our whole lives, I don’t regret any of it. You’re my best friend, we’re…we’re brothers.”

“Just hold on Arch,” Jughead said, his voice breaking. “Don’t try to talk, okay?”

“You’re my brother, Jug, I love you,” Archie gasped out. 

“I love you too, Archie,” Jughead whispered, moving his hand to grip his friend’s. 

“Betty really loves you Jug, you have to let her if I don’t….if I don’t….”

“Archie, please stop,” Jughead begged. 

“Let her help you…” Archie whispered, his eyes closing. Jughead looked in the rear view and Fangs and Sweet Pea sat looking as anguished as he felt. He arrived at the hospital a few minutes later and Archie was unconscious and he slammed to a stop at the doors where Midge was waiting with a trauma team. He jumped out and ran around as she pulled the door open and two doctors reached in and grabbed Archie, lifting him onto a gurney. Another one helped Fangs and Sweet Pea stayed with him while Jughead ran after Archie. 

They wheeled him into a trauma bay and Midge forced Jughead to stand back as they hurried to work on him. He watched, terrified for his friend as they cut his shirt off of him and he swallowed a sob as the blood flowed from his wounds. A doctor pushed his hand under Archie and shook his head.

“Okay, we have no exit wounds so I’m going to assume we have a ripped up mess in here so let’s see if we can find the bullets.”

“Pulse is barely there,” another said. Jughead backed up until he felt the wall and leaned against it, his legs barely holding him up. He lifted his hands and stared at the blood, at his shirt and pants soaked with it. 

“We need to stop this bleeding, he’s losing way too much blood,” someone said. 

“God dammit,” Jughead whispered, pushing away from the wall and trying to get close to Archie.

“Someone get this guy out of here,” a doctor ordered firmly and Midge grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

“Let them work, Jughead,” she said gently, squeezing his hand. He looked toward them and there was so much fucking blood. The monitors were showing a slowing heartbeat and he shook his head.

“They have to help him,” he said hoarsely. “Midge, they have to help him.”

“Okay, start compressions, we need to keep this heart beating,” a doctor said as he worked at the wound site. A nurse hurried over and started compressions while another added an oxygen bag and started pumping air. “Dammit,” he muttered as he grabbed the ultra sound machine and attempted to see what was what. “That bullet bounced around some in there, I can’t tell what’s what without opening him up…”

“Jug, what’s happening?” Pea asked as he suddenly appeared and hurried over. He looked into the trauma room and went pale. “Holy fuck,” he breathed, his eyes filling with tears. 

“How’s Fangs?” Midge asked in a small attempt to focus them elsewhere.

“He’s ok,” Pea answered, his eyes glued to the blood on the floor. “Bullet went through and didn’t do any damage. They’re just patching him up and giving him pain killers. What the fuck is happening, Midge?” he gasped. Jughead felt his stomach clench when the monitor behind Archie suddenly lost its rhythm and he flat lined. 

“Midge?” he pleaded, stepping toward the room.

“Jughead….” She said softly, tears spilling from her eyes and he looked at her, shaking his head. He stood frozen as he watched them scurry like bees around Archie, words like _crashing_ , _paddles_ , _again_ , _again_. The doctor threw the paddles aside and started compressions again. Back and forth for a ten minutes until he was ordered to stop.

“Call it,” someone said quietly, pulling off their gloves and throwing them in frustration. Jughead looked at Midge in horror.

“No, they can’t stop,” he snapped. “Tell them to keep going.”

“Jughead….” she cried quietly.

“NO!” he yelled angrily. “My sister came in here with a fucking bullet in her chest after being thrown in the river and you helped her. Go in there and save his god damned life!”

“Jughead, he lost too much blood,” she managed to get out, her tears running down her face, feeling his loss with him. “The damage inside…”

“Fucking hell,” Pea whispered, pale and shaking. 

“Midge, please,” Jughead whimpered, trying to keep his panic from consuming him. He didn’t know if he’d ever felt so much pain in his life. His stomach, his chest, he couldn’t breathe. “Please,” he begged.

“Time of death, 22:27.” He barely registered the words from the trauma room, feeling himself grow cold.

“I’m so sorry, Jug,” Midge wept, not bothering to hide her pain. 

Jughead stepped back, his hands curling into fists as fury like he’d never felt washed over him. He suddenly felt no pain, he felt nothing but rage consume him. He could feel himself slowly turn to stone. 

Fangs came limping up to them suddenly, looking concerned.

“How’s Archie?” he asked, looking around. He froze when he saw the trauma room and the nurse pulling a sheet over the body that lay there. “What the fuck?” he whispered in shock, looking at Pea and Jughead.

“He didn’t make it,” Pea managed to strangle out, his face lined with tears.

“You guys should go,” Midge whispered. “They’re going to call this in and you won’t want to be here when the cops show up. I’ll take care of Archie and make arrangements for you,” she promised. “Pea, get Jughead out of here.” Sweet Pea looked at Jughead and he felt numb. The Serpent leader’s face had turned to granite, a chiseled look of fury that he knew wasn’t going to leave anytime soon and he made a note to stay out of his way.

“Come on Jug, we have to go,” he said brokenly and Jughead turned and stormed from the hospital.

 

Betty was sitting with Cheryl in the lounge when Toni came running in with a line of Serpents behind her. She jumped up and scanned the faces and looked back at Toni.

“Where’s Jughead?” she asked quickly, feeling her anxiety get worse than it already was. 

“He’s at the hospital,” Toni replied as Cheryl rushed up to her and grabbed her in a hug. She pulled back and looked at her. 

“Why do you have blood on your jacket?” she asked fearfully, looking around for a source.

“It’s not mine,” Toni choked out, her eyes full of tears.

“Toni, what happened? Where are Jughead and Pea?” Betty asked. “Archie and Fangs aren’t here either? What happened?”

“We walked into a trap. Someone told them we were coming and when the shooting started…”

“Oh god,” Betty gasped, her hand over her mouth.

“Reggie’s dead and Fangs got hit in the leg and…and….”

“What?” Cheryl cried out, grabbing her shoulder and giving her a little shake.

“Chic let us leave and just before Archie and Jughead left the building, he shot Archie twice,” Toni said, her voice and hands shaking. She looked at them, realizing now she had blood on them from when she’d grabbed Archie.

“Oh no,” Betty whispered. “Is he okay?”

“I don’t know,” the woman cried and Cheryl led her over to a chair. “It was bad. Two shots in the abdomen and there was so much fucking blood…”

The news that Archie was badly injured spread quickly through the building and soon the lounge was full of Serpents waiting to hear the news. Texts went unanswered and everyone sat, fearful and anxious. Betty sat frozen on the sofa, feeling the furious gazes of FP and Jellybean, as they seemed to place the blame on her and she wanted to run but she stay and waited with them. FP was drinking with Tall Boy in the corner and Jellybean paced the floor while Cheryl held a shaken Toni. Pop came in after a while and came and sat next to Betty, holding her hand and giving a small measure of comfort.

An hour later, Jughead, followed by Sweet Pea and a limping Fangs, walked into the lounge. Betty took one look at his face and felt the dread roar to life.

“Oh no,” she whispered, tears filling her eyes. She stood but seemed unable to move as his eyes seemed to vacantly just stare at the room before they found hers. She wanted to go to him but the look on his face scared her a little. She knew it wasn’t good news. Her hand covered her mouth as she ran her eyes over him. The blood on his face, his hands, all over his clothes. The rage that simmered around him.

“Where’s Archie,” FP asked, standing to his feet. Betty watched Jughead’s hands curl into fists as he turned his gaze to his father. He said nothing but even from across the lounge, she could see he was shaking with anger.

“He didn’t….he didn’t make it,” Pea managed to get out and the shock that went through the room was palpable. Jellybean burst into tears and ran to Sweet Pea who held her tightly and Cheryl and Toni started crying as Betty felt her own tears fall from her eyes. Jughead just stood and stared, still not speaking. 

“What the fuck,” FP gasped, his face going red with anger and shock. “How the fuck did this happen?”

“Sweet mother of God,” Pop said brokenly, trying to get up off the couch and sinking back down.

“We were ambushed,” Jughead finally spoke, his voice cold and angry. “We walked right into a trap become someone told them we were coming.” He stared at FP and the man took a step back.

“You think I did this?” he asked in disbelief. 

“Did you?” Jughead’s voice was so deadly, Betty began to tremble. She looked at the man she loved and realized, her heart hurting, that violent anger was consuming him now and the softness, the gentleness was gone. 

“Jug…” she managed to get out, taking a step toward him. Jughead ignored her and FP whirled around and glared at her.

“This is your brother’s fucking fault,” he snapped. “That monster tried to kill my daughter and now has taken one of the best young men that I know.”

“I’m…I’m sorry…” Betty stammered, clenching her hands and digging her nails into her skin.

“You’re sorry? You’re always fucking sorry,” Jellybean snapped, getting into the conversation. 

“Stop it,” Jughead suddenly spoke angrily. Cheryl stood and took Betty’s hand.

“No, I will not stop it,” JB yelled. “Have you even told her the horrible shit her brother does? What he’s done???”

“I said stop it!” Jughead fumed. “This is not the time or the place.” Betty looked at him in surprise.

“What…what do you mean?” she asked, feeling nausea turn inside her. Jellybean was about to speak when Jughead took an angry step toward her and so FP decided to jump in.

“He’s a sex trafficker,” he said furiously, his angry gaze directed at Betty. 

“FP!” Cheryl spat. “Shut up.”

“What?” Betty asked in confusion, dark imagines in her mind suddenly starting to swirl. Jellybean stepped away from Sweet Pea, ignoring Jughead’s order to be quiet.

“Yes, that’s right,” she added. “He sells women. He was going to sell me, just like he sold you and your sister!”

“I said, shut the fuck up!” Jughead roared, looking like he wanted to throw his sister out the window.

“Jelly!” Pea snapped, pulling his girlfriend back. 

“That’s enough, all of you,” Pop’s voice suddenly ripped through the chaos as Betty stood frozen, looking at Jughead in horror. She shook her head, trying to _unhear_ what she had just heard, her hands lifting to grasp her head, the demons that had been plaguing her for weeks rearing their ugly heads.

“I don’t…understand…” she whispered, looking wildly around the room.

“Betty…” Jughead said slowly, taking a step toward her. She stepped back when she looked at his face. It was the truth, it was written all over his face.

“No, it can’t be…” she said almost to herself, trying to piece things together in her mind. 

“Yes it is,” FP barked. “He kills and sells women, he tried with JB and he sold your sister. He sold you too but Jughead got to you in time and brought this whole god damned mess down on us and now Archie’s fucking dead!” Jughead whirled around and then FP flew half way across the room from the fist that connected with his jaw.

“You knew?” Betty whispered, feeling the eyes and what felt like hate and anger of every person on the room on her. She stared in shock at Jughead as he struggled to speak, his face still contorted with rage over Archie and now trying to find something in himself to help her. “You knew about this and you didn’t tell me?”

“I didn’t want to hurt you,” he said, his voice still void of emotions and it fell flat, only making her nausea worse. 

“I have been having nightmares for weeks,” she cried furiously. “Wondering what happened to my sister and you knew?” Betty screamed at him.

“Betty, please calm down,” Cheryl pleaded beside her and she turned and stared at the woman.

“You knew as well?” she whispered.

“So did you,” Cheryl said gently, her face lined with tears of her own. “You just buried it and we didn’t remind you.”

“No…how would i…” Betty shook her head, trying to make sense of the images in her head. “How would I know…” she trailed off, feeling her lungs close up on her as the shadows in her mind started to form pictures. “No…that’s not…” It was like pain slamming into her head as she started to remember things she had buried. 

Chic laughing and taunting Polly. 

Telling her he would be rid of her soon. 

_Got a good price for you. It’s time to go._

Her sister screaming for her to help as she was dragged from the room.

Chic telling her she was next.

“No, no, no….” she mumbled, wrapping her arms around her middle and bending over, the urge to vomit slamming into her. Suddenly she remembered Jughead saying something about Jellybean picking death over being sold. He had tried to tell her but she’d blocked it and he had left it that way.

“Betty…” Jughead tried again, his voice still angry, unable in his grief to find the soft tone she loved so much.

“I trusted you!” she cried, looking at him and feeling betrayed. “You told me to trust you and I did…and you lied…”

“I didn’t lie,” he snapped and she backed away, away from his anger that she should have known wasn’t about her but it felt like another blow and she bent over and heaved, his words feeling like a shot to the stomach. He had known all along. 

Betty couldn’t breath and she began to sob, which only robbed her of more breath and she felt an arm go around her and realized it was Cheryl, Jughead still standing frozen, unable to even move. She grabbed her head and tried to stop all the supressed horrors from showing themselves but they came one after the other until she was gasping and sobbing, an anguished wail ripping through her as she sank to the floor. He sold her sister into the sex trade. He had sold her. Betty was barely aware of the shouting that started as Pea and Fangs started yelling at FP and Jellybean and everyone else was crying and yelling something and Betty managed to lift her head and her eyes fell on Tall Boy sitting quietly in the corner and the way he looked at her made her skin crawl. A small smirk that had no place in this mess. Something was wrong. Everything was wrong.

 

Jughead stood and couldn’t seem to bring himself to move. Betty was breaking down right in front of him and all he could feel was pain and anger. Everything was wrong. He couldn’t control anything and he felt utterly helpless. He suddenly registered Pea beside him who was trying to get his attention.

“Jughead!” he snapped, giving him a shake. Jughead blinked and looked at him, his fists still clenched and he realized Pea was holding something out to him. “The cloned phone,” he said, his voice low and furious. Jughead grabbed it and looked at the text.

 _I give you Jughead and you kill Archie? That wasn’t the fucking deal!_ He stared at Pea in shock.

“Who’s is it?” 

“Back table.”

Jughead looked in the back of the room and saw Tall Boy sitting with a phone in his hand. He could feel the eyes on him and in his stupidity, looked up and froze, realizing that they were on to him. Jughead felt a blinding black rage come over him and in his fury Betty was forgotten as he stormed across the lounge, grabbing Tall Boy by the neck as he scrambled, not quick enough, to flee. 

“Jughead…” he barely registered someone calling his name as the darkness took over and he threw Tall Boy to the ground. He barely registered his fist connecting to Tall Boy’s face over and over. All he saw was Archie dying in front of him and he put all his rage into his punches, not even registering the blood that covered his fists, or the crunch of bones as he delivered blow after angry blow.

“Jughead, stop, you’re killing him, we need answers,” he heard Pea yell and felt his hands pulling at him. He wrenched away and hit Tall Boy again. The man was unconscious, and Sweet Pea managed to pull him off and he yanked away, scrambling to his feet, standing over him with bloodied fists, chest heaving from his exertion, his anger still raging.

“What the fuck,” FP gasped behind him and he turned and grabbed him, shoving him up against the wall.

“Jug!” Fangs yelled, scared he was going to do the same to him. 

“Did you know?” Jughead spat.

“No, I swear to God, I didn’t know,” FP shouted, lifting his hands in defence. 

“You spoke for him!” Jughead roared, slamming his fist into the wall beside his father’s head.

“I didn’t know, Jughead,” he insisted. “I have no idea why he would do this. I swear on my life.” Jughead let him go and stepped back, so overcome with anguish he could barely think. He turned to find Betty, a tiny part inside him knowing she was an anchor, desperate for some kind of light. He found her on the floor, her eyes lifting and meeting his and they were filled with accusation and pain and so much anger of her own. He had done this. He had let himself think something good could actually take root in his life and he had ruined everything and now she hated him. He could feel the last of his heart turn to ice.

“This,” he strangled out, looking from her to the unconscious man on the floor, to everyone around him. “This is why I want nothing to do with love. It all disappears eventually. In death, in anger. Everybody leaves!” he yelled. “Everybody!” 

“Jug,” Toni whispered, coming close to him, lifting her hand to him.

“Don’t fucking touch me!” he growled, and she stepped back, her chin trembling. 

Betty felt the her heart shatter as he raged and she struggled to breathe. It was done. Chic had killed everything good in her life and she had nothing left. She felt Cheryl’s arm wrap around her as she called for Toni and the woman hurried over to help and they lifted her up to stand on shaking feet.

“Let’s get her upstairs,” Cheryl whispered. “He’s no help to her right now.” Toni nodded, tears still running down her face and they helped the broken woman out of the lounge.

 

Jellybean stood watching as they left, feeling something twist inside her as they helped Betty out. She looked over where Pea and FP were checking Tall Boy and then to Jughead who had walked to the bar and grabbed a bottle of scotch, drinking straight from the bottle. She looked over at Pop and found him watching her, an angry look on his face and she shrank back a little. It was obvious nobody was ever going to side with her when it came to the Cooper woman and even Pea was angry with her for telling the truth. She clenched her jaw and stormed from the room.

 

Jughead felt the scotch burn through him, dulling his senses a little so he could breathe without wanting to kill everyone. He put the bottle down and looked around. The women were gone, most everyone else just sitting around looking shell shocked and he looked over at Tall Boy.

“Wake him the fuck up,” he ordered. Pea looked at him in surprise.

“I don’t know if he’s capable of waking up,” he informed him.

“Wake him up!” Jughead snapped. Sweet Pea sighed and motioned for them to get him in the chair and went to find the first aid kit. He knew there were smelling salts in there. He also grabbed a pitcher of water and walked back to the unconscious man. He threw the water in his face and broke the smelling salt, holding it under his nose and Tall Boy twitched but barely moved. “Again.” Pea grabbed some more water and dumped it over Tall Boy and the man sputtered, gasping for breath as he became conscious. He slowly, painfully lifted his head and looked at Jughead and the rest with swollen eyes.

“Tall Boy, tell me you didn’t do this,” FP said slowly, looking at the man who’d been by his side for 30 years in disbelief. The bloodied man let out a gasping laugh and then coughed, spitting blood and glaring at Jughead.

“Why?” Jughead asked, his fists clenching again. “What the hell would make you do this? What have I ever done to you to want me dead?”

“You are ruining everything I’ve been working on for the last 5 years,” the man snapped before wincing and touching a hand to his broken face. “Fucking hell, my bones are broken.” Jughead looked at FP and he shook his head in confusion.

“What the hell have you been working on?” Jughead asked. “I know nothing about anything because apparently you’ve become a master at sneaking around. Spying on people, cutting cameras, taking fucking pictures,” he fumed, and unable to help himself, punching Tall Boy again. The older man sank back in the chair, barely conscious.

“You best explain yourself,” Pop said, coming up to the group, looking as livid as Jughead felt.

“Well, ever since you turned the Serpents into a bunch of little bitches stealing shit, I’ve been doing what we’ve always done all by myself. Running guns.”

“What?” FP snapped. “How the fuck are you running guns?”

“Well, it’s surprisingly easy when you get a portion of money for not doing anything stealing wise; suddenly you’re able to buy more ways around things and you’re able to hide things better. Everything was going great, I was on the verge of being big enough to break away from this shit hole and venture out on my own and you had to go bring in the feds,” Tall Boy snapped at Jughead.

“Why the fuck would that matter?” Pea yelled. “They knew nothing about what you were doing. Fuck, we didn’t even know. You were in the clear!!”

“Yes, well, I couldn’t take my chances, now could I? Especially when I heard just who you all were trying to take down. Those guys were some of my best customers,” Tall Boy admitted. Jughead stepped back, feeling himself go numb as he put the pieces together and a violent angry shudder went through him.

“Wait, are you telling me that the gun that was used on JB and Archie fucking came from you?” he asked quietly, his voice controlled yet laced with rage. FP looked at him in horror, realizing the same thing. Tall Boy seemed to realize there was no getting out of this and didn’t feel the need to lie.

“Probably,” he said with a laugh and Jughead felt something snap inside and he launched himself at the man again, and once again, when Tall Boy was unconscious, he was dragged away. He stood, his chest heaving, staring at his bloodied hands and he turned to FP. 

“How in the ever loving fuck did you not know what he was doing?” he raged. “You spent every day together!” he yelled.

“Jug…” his father began, his face ashen and eyes glazed and shocked and Jughead raised his hand and stopped him.

“This is on you. You spoke for him, you take care of him,” he ordered coldly. “Get rid of him and I want proof that it’s done or I will fucking put you in the ground with him. Do you understand me?”

“I understand,” FP said quickly. Jughead stared at the traitor one last time, spit on him and turned and stormed from the room, his father’s voice ordering those around him to help as they moved to get Tall Boy out of the building.

 

Jughead stood in the gym locker room, staring at himself in the mirror. It was past midnight, people had retreated to their apartments to mourn in private and he couldn’t even shed a tear. He was so consumed with rage, he felt like he was going to crumble into darkness and never come out. He looked at his blood stained clothes, lifted his blood stained hands and felt himself starting to lose his control. 

He had the blood of three men on him. Reggie, Archie and Tall Boy and he blamed himself. He hadn’t been careful enough, he hadn’t paid enough attention, he had failed in his promises to protect those he loved. He stripped out of his clothes and threw them in the trash and stepped into the shower, turning the water as hot as he could stand. He rested his hands on the tile, watching as the blood ran down, making red tinged trails down the drain. 

He felt nothing but pain and grief and like the light had been sucked from him and there was no finding it again. He remembered Reggie’s vacant stare as he lay dead at his feet, the look on Archie’s face as the bullets hit him, his own lifeless eyes as the doctor called time of death, the anguish he had seen in Betty’s eyes as she looked at him, the trust leaving her eyes. The love leaving her eyes. He clenched his jaw and scrubbed himself clean and stepped out of the shower, drying off and pulling on some sweats. He felt twitchy and jumpy and he grabbed his hand tape and headed to the bag. Fangs limped up to him as he pulled at the tape.

“Have you been to see her?” he asked quietly, watching Jughead bind his hands to beat the living hell out of the boxing bag. He bounced around, trying to loosen the tension in his shoulders.

“Nope.”

“Jug, Archie said...”

“I don’t give a fuck what Archie said,” Jughead snapped at him. “He’s not here, is he?!” he shouted angrily.

“So that’s how you’re going to handle this? Shit on your best friend’s last request?” Jughead grabbed him by the shirt and slammed him against the wall.

“Don’t fucking talk about him to me,” he snapped. “Don’t say his name!”

“Come on man,” Fangs said softly. “I’m not the enemy here. Don’t let yourself go dark like this. It’s not what he would have wanted.” Jughead dropped his hands and stepped back. “A lot of bad shit went down tonight Jughead, things we will all feel for a long time, maybe forever and you can’t do this alone and neither can Betty.”

“Betty doesn’t want my help,” Jughead said with a dark laugh. 

“You don’t know that.”

“Yeah, well, it seems I don’t know much of anything these days,” Jughead muttered, throwing his tape into the corner and storming back into the locker room. He grabbed his go bag from his locker and left the room.

“Where are you going?” Fangs asked as he watched him storm across the room.

Away, Jughead thought to himself, not bothering to voice it out loud. He couldn’t be here. He didn’t want to be here. Everything was falling apart, everything was breaking and he needed to figure out a way to fix it. He needed to figure out a way to rip Chic Cooper apart and he wasn’t going to stop until it was done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're all still with me as I try to bring these characters out of the darkness they have fallen into....stay tuned....also, please don’t post the death on tumblr for at least a couple days, or send asks with name of the deceased


	24. Fallout

By the time Toni and Cheryl got Betty to her apartment, she seemed almost catatonic. They helped her to the couch and she sat and stared off into nothing, her eyes emotionless, no longer crying or gasping for breath, just sitting and staring.

“Can I get you anything?” Cheryl asked her softly and Betty turned to look at her, staring blankly for a while before turning and staring into nothing again.

“What do we do?” Toni asked softly, trying to control her own emotions over the whole evening and failing as she started to cry again. She sank down on the couch as well and covered her face with her hands and Cheryl wrapped her arms around her and hugged her close. Her girlfriend had seen one of their family shot up and Betty was all torn inside herself and she didn’t know if she had the strength to help them both as she herself was mourning.

“God dammit, Jug,” she whispered, wishing with all her heart he was here to fix this. Yes, he was devastated, but everyone was and this may well be the worst night of Betty’s life and he was MIA. She pulled back and got Toni to look at her. “Why don’t you go take a shower and put on something comfortable,” she suggested softly. “I don’t think you want to keep wearing these soiled clothes.” Toni looked down at herself in surprise, remembering suddenly that there was blood on her and she wiped her face and nodded. “Come back when you’re done, okay? I don’t think we should leave her alone.”

“Okay,” Toni whispered. Cheryl gave her a tight squeeze and she headed to their own apartment to clean up. 

“Betty?” Cheryl asked softly as she turned once again to Betty who turned to look at her. “Do you want to go lie down?” Betty shook her head and pulled her legs up, wrapping her arms around her legs, resting her forehead on her knees. Cheryl pulled out her phone and sent a group text to Sweet Pea and Fangs.

**Where is Jughead?**

_He left. I have no idea where to. He took his go bag._ Fangs replied to her and she let her head fall back on the couch and gritted her teeth.

“Fuck,” she muttered. She knew Jughead was spiraling and was clearly devastated and furious but taking off wasn’t a good way to deal. He should be here with them, with Betty. Nobody should go through something like this alone.

 _Is Betty ok?_ Sweet Pea wanted to know.

**No, she isn’t**

_Sorry Cher. Let us know if you need anything. I’ve sent Jughead some texts but he’s not answering. I’m with FP, making sure he does what Jughead ordered him to do._ He replied again.

**Thanks Pea.**

Cheryl put the phone down and she didn’t know how long she sat there but soon Toni was coming back in, showered and in pajamas and then she felt the woman next to her shudder, her breathing suddenly becoming heavier and her hands clenching tightly into fists. 

 

Betty suddenly felt like she couldn’t breathe, her lungs slowly closing up on her and she struggled to take a breathe, the pain slamming into her out of nowhere after a while of blissful numbness.

“Betty?” 

“Long deep breaths, long deep breaths,” she started murmuring over and over as she tried desperately to calm down. It wasn’t helping as her mind kept the horrible truth going in circles. “He sold her…..he sold her…..” 

“Betty,” Toni spoke gently, crouching down in front of her and taking her hands, forcing the nails away from the already torn and bloodied skin. Betty looked at her and was confused at the tears she saw on Toni’s face.

“Are you okay?” she asked as she looked around. “Where’s Jughead? I need him….i need…..” she whispered, looking at Cheryl.

“Sweetie, do you remember what happened downstairs?” Cheryl asked, wiping her face.

“Yeah, they told me Chic sold my sister and me,” she shuddered and then her eyes widened, remembering. “Jughead lied to me,” she whispered.

“He didn’t lie,” Toni said gently. “He didn’t want to hurt you Betty. You’ve been through so much and he wanted to wait until you were stronger. It probably wasn’t the best idea, but he meant well.”

“He should have told me,” Betty cried. “I had so many nightmares and he should have told me! I could have handled it and then to have…to have them just tell me like that….where is he?” she suddenly asked. “He said he didn’t want love…” she trailed off.

“Betty, he’s upset. His best friend just died and he’s spinning. He doesn’t know how to handle this,” Cheryl said softly, wrapping her arm around her. “Jughead loves you so much, please believe that. What FP and JB did is unforgivable. They had no right and they for sure shouldn’t have done this tonight.”

“Oh Archie,” Betty breathed, her brain suddenly switching to him and she started to cry in earnest, her face in her hands. “It’s all my fault,” she sobbed.

“It’s not your fault,” Toni said firmly, her voice trembling. “We walked in there knowing something bad could happen. We all knew the risks,” she insisted. “It is not your fault.” Betty said nothing and pulled away from Cheryl, sobbing, feeling like her heart was being torn all over again. It was too much. The truth about her brother, the friend that she cared about, her new family, suddenly gone, Jughead keeping the truth from her and then leaving. Dear God, it was all too much. 

“I need….i need to lie down,” she gasped, feeling dizzy and like she was going to vomit.

“Okay,” Cheryl said, standing and helping her up. Betty moved and was about to walk to Jughead’s room when she paused and her eyes filled with tears. She had trusted him with her heart and he had kept things from her and then yelled that he didn’t want to love. He didn’t want to love her anymore. She turned and walked over to the spare suite and opened the door. It looked as lovely and inviting as ever, but it didn’t feel like home. How could she feel at home when the person she loved more than life didn’t want to love her? She went over to the bed and sat down and winced when she suddenly felt her palms and she slowly uncurled her finger and saw the deep cuts she had made.

“Can I take care of those for you?” Cheryl asked softly and Betty looked at her and curled her fingers in again.

“No,” she muttered, laying back and curling into a fetal position, turning away from her and staring at the window. It had started to rain and it seemed fitting, really. Maybe the rain could wash away the ugliness of the last few hours but she doubted it. Nothing would be the same ever again.

 

Cheryl walked back into Jughead’s apartment and sank down on the couch, face in her hands. She let herself cry for all the horrors the evening had unveiled and she was suddenly insanely tired. She felt Toni sit down beside her, putting her arms around her and holding her close. 

“It’s going to be okay,” she whispered, even as her own tears fell. They had lost a family member tonight, another was in agony and another was running in a rage and refusing to face his pain.

“I don’t know what to do for her,” Cheryl sighed, wiping at her face. “She needs Jughead and yet, he’s part of the reason she’s in this state and I simply don’t know what to do.”

“We’ll just be there for her until he comes back,” Toni said softly. “We have to be. I know we lost Archie but we’re going to have to be there for her in our own grief and we’ll just have to try to be strong.”

“I’m going to kick Jughead’s ass,” Cheryl fumed. “He should have told her this shit weeks ago.”

“You know why he didn’t.”

“I don’t care right now. She is so in love with him and feels betrayed right now. If he had told her right from the start, before she fell in love, she wouldn't feel so betrayed right now. She’d be able to focus on Archie being gone and trying to help Jughead but now it’s all a fucking mess.”

“Well,” Toni sighed. “Then I think our anger is better served toward FP and JB. That little bitch has been doing her best to sway everyone’s opinion on Betty and I’m tired of it.”

“Yeah, well, everyone is too worried about her fragile feelings right now to give her the verbal ass kicking she needs, but just give me a chance….” Cheryl mumbled as she pulled away and lay down on the couch. “I’m just going to try and sleep for a bit. Everything hurts and I just want to sleep for a year.” Toni pulled a blanket over her and lay down on the other couch and fell into a restless sleep.

 

It was just past 3am when Sweet Pea let himself into his apartment. He let out a long exhausted sigh and headed to the bathroom and took a hot shower until he felt like his skin was almost burned off. He wanted to burn every part of the evening from his memory but he knew that he’d never be able to get rid of that memory. When he was finished, he dried off and grabbed his phone, looking through the photos he had taken and sent a photo text to Jughead, knowing he probably wouldn’t reply or even look at it for a while.

_It’s done. I made sure of it. Tall Boy won’t be a problem ever again._

He closed the phone and quietly went into the bedroom and grabbed something to sleep in, glancing at JB curled up on the bed and he slipped back out of the room, opting to spend the rest of the night on the couch, if he even slept at all.

As he knew would be the case, Sweet Pea didn’t sleep at all and when the time read 6:45 he finally gave up and got off the couch. He took his phone out again and as he figured, Jughead hadn’t even looked at the message and then he sent one to Fangs.

_How are you doing?_

**my leg hurts** was all he replied and Pea decided he probably needed some help and headed to the bedroom. He pulled out a bag and started putting a few things in it as Jellybean stirred awake.

“What are you doing?” she asked slowly as she watched him pack.

“I’m going to stay with Fangs for a bit. He needs my help with his leg.”

“He needs your help with his leg…” she said slowly, eyebrows raised. “And what, you’re moving in?”

“For a bit, yeah,” Pea replied, grabbing a few things off his bedside table and throwing them in the bag. 

“You’re angry at me,” she noted, not fooled for a second that Fangs actually needed him to move in. “Should have known you’d side with her over me.” Pea paused and glared at her.

“Her over you? There is no her verses you, Jelly. This has nothing to do with Betty what so ever,” he snapped. “But the fact that my girlfriend has no problem completely destroying someone on the worst night the Serpents have ever had; that is what I have a problem with. It could have been any woman and I would be just as angry. You attacked an innocent woman and caused her to have a literal breakdown and disrespected your brother, your fucking leader in front of the entire gang and you simply don’t give a fuck about anybody but yourself. That is why I’m angry, Jelly. The girl, that I’ve loved longer than is even proper to admit, is a cold heartless child.” 

“So you’re just going to leave?” she yelled. 

“I need some time to sort through all the shit that’s gone down,” he sighed. “I watched two of my best friends get shot last night and then I watched one of them die. I watched the strongest person I know get so consumed with rage that he couldn’t even help the only person he’s ever loved as she suffered a complete break that was caused by you and then I had to make sure your father ended the life of a cowardly traitor. I can’t deal with you right now and I need some space.”

“I loved Archie too, you know. He was like a brother to me! I’m supposed to just go through his death by myself, without the person I love?” she fumed. Sweet Pea let out a laugh.

“Why not? Betty is,” he threw at her. “You know what? Why don’t you go stay with your dad for a while? You two seem to think a lot alike these days. I’m sure you’ll get on just fine.” He threw a few more things in his bag and left the bedroom, gritting his teeth when he heard something crash against the wall. He paused at the front door, leaning his forehead against it and take a few deep breaths. He hadn’t taken a minute yet to really grieve for his friend and having to walk away from her hurt more than he thought it would but he was too angry at the moment to be around her.

Fangs opened the door and looked at him in surprise when he knocked on it a couple of minutes later and stepped back to let him in. 

“I don’t need a nurse,” he said with a curious frown.

“Yeah you do,” Was all Sweet Pea could offer as he dropped his bag and flopped down on the couch. Fangs knew better than to question him and went to the fridge to get a couple of beers. He walked over to where he was sitting and handed him one, dropping down next to him and offering him a smile. Neither cared that it was barely past sunrise.

“To Archie,” he said softly, holding up his bottle. Pea tapped it with his own and they sat drinking in silence in honor of a friend they had both loved.

 

 

Jughead woke up groggy, his mouth dry and a headache that seemed to be splitting his brain in two. He squinted before he’d even opened his eyes, the brightness registering through his lids already painful. For a moment he thought he was getting sick and he reached over to Betty’s side of the bed to center himself and his hand banged against something hard and he winced and slowly opened his eyes. He had no idea where he was but it looked like a fleabag hotel and there was a half empty bottle of scotch sitting next to him on the floor. Why the fuck was he on the floor?

He struggled to sit up, his headache pounding so fiercely, he had to hold his head for a moment, trying to figure out what the fuck was happening. It all came back to him in one painful instant and he let out a whimper as he absorbed the memory like a blow to the gut. 

Archie was dead. 

Betty no longer trusted him, probably hated him. 

Tall Boy was a traitor. 

Jughead slowly picked himself off the floor, grabbing the bottle as he straightened and went over and sank down on the edge of the bed. Clearly the night before he hadn’t made it that far. He tried to remember how he’d even gotten there and recalled driving around half the night in a rage, Archie’s blood still soaked into the seat beside him. He’d pulled over at a gas station and bought a couple bottles of scotch and holed up in the first pile of shit hotel he could find and had started drinking just to keep himself from feeling something and now here he was, nursing a hangover from hell.

He felt around his pockets for a bit and found his phone and stared down at it. It was 3:30 in the afternoon and there was no message from Betty and really, why was he expecting one? There were several from Cheryl, asking where the fuck he was and a few from various Serpents and then there was one from Pea.

 _It’s done. I made sure of it. Tall Boy won’t be a problem ever again._ It was accompanied with a picture of Tall Boy with a bullet hole in his forehead. He let out a harsh laugh. FP had done what he’d ordered him to do maybe for the first time in the last 6 years. Jughead threw his phone on the bed beside him and lifted the bottle to his lips, feeling like his hangover wanted to really swing into full gear. 

The best way to avoid a horrible hangover? Stay drunk.

 

 

Cheryl sat down at the island in Jughead’s apartment and stared blankly at the plate in front of her. Some of the Serpent wives had taken it upon themselves to cook meals for everyone and some pasta had just been delivered but she couldn’t seem to find the energy to eat. She was exhausted and even though she had managed to rest here and there, the sporadic sleeping, the constant tears over Archie and trying to keep Betty from completely losing it was taking its toll. 

She was very concerned for her friend. Betty hadn’t slept yet because as soon as she managed to drift off she came screaming awake with nightmares and when she wasn’t sobbing, she lay catatonic and pale, her hands tightly clenched and she had yet to let either her or Toni clean them. She refused to eat and Cheryl was terrified she was going to get sick or really hurt herself. 

Toni came back into the apartment, looking as exhausted as Cheryl felt and she gave her a long hug and then pushed a plate toward her.

“Eat something,” she said softly, noticing how red rimmed Toni’s eyes were. She had taken on the task of meeting with Midge to make arrangements for Archie and plan his funeral. “How are things going?”

“Okay,” Toni sighed. “Planning a family funeral is horrible and I hope I never have to do it again. How’s Betty?”

“I don’t know,” Cheryl said, her frustration showing. “I don’t know what to do. She’s just laying there; looks beyond exhausted and I’m afraid she’s going to get sick.”

“Maybe we should see if we can get her into a bath or something. It could help relax her and we’d get her hands cleaned up,” Toni suggested, eating a few bites before sighing and putting the fork down, pushing the plate away.

“Okay, couldn’t hurt to try. It’s almost night again and there is still no message or sign of Jughead and we can’t just let her waste away.”

“Alright, I’ll go run a bath and you see if you can get her up and into the bathroom and I have to say, it makes me so sad that she isn’t sleeping in her and Jughead’s room,” Toni sighed. “I really wish he was here and I’m seeing why you’re so angry at him now. Yes, he’s hurting over Archie, but God, how can he just leave Betty like this?” Her already exhausted eyes filled with tears again and she turned and headed into Betty’s room to get her bath going. Cheryl also got up and joined her, walking over to the bed and sitting down on the edge. Betty lay curled up, staring at the window like she had been for almost 24 hours.

“Betty, sweetie, I need you to get up, okay? I think if you took a bath you would feel better. Can you get up for me?” 

Betty just stared at her blankly and then slowly sat up. Cheryl wondered if she was even aware of anything. She hadn’t spoken, had wanted to talk about anything and she wished she would scream or yell or throw things or just about anything except stare blankly like she was checked out. By the time she managed to coax her off the bed and into the bathroom, the bath was ready and Toni had pajamas laid out for her for when she was finished.

“Do you want some help to get in?” Toni asked softly. Betty looked at her and much to their relief, she nodded. They helped her out of her clothes and into the tub and she lowered herself into the bubbles, wincing when her hands hit the water. “We’ll take care of those for you after you’re done, okay?” 

“Okay,” Betty whispered. Cheryl looked at Toni and managed a small smile. It was a start and now that the shock seemed to be wearing off she wondered how much they should brace for. The young woman leaned back and sank into the bubbles, her head resting on the edge and closed her eyes. 

 

Betty was tired. So incredibly tired. She ached everywhere and she was scared to let her mind start working and thinking. She didn’t want to think about anything but she knew she would have to face everything eventually. She lifted her hands and looked at them and shuddered. They hadn’t been such a mess in a long time and she itched to curl them in again so she could just concentrate on the sting and not the ugly things in her head. She lowered them back into the water and let the water clean them. 

After soaking for a while, she sat up and reached for the shampoo and ended up knocking it onto the floor and Cheryl came to the door at the sound and hurried over to pick it up.

“I was just going to wash my hair,” Betty said quietly, drawing in a shaky breath.

“You know what, why don’t you let me do that for you,” Cheryl offered with a gentle smile. “It will hurt your hands to get shampoo all over them.”

“Okay,” Betty sighed, having no energy to argue. Cheryl said nothing as she lathered up and gently washed and conditioned her hair. When she was done, Betty looked at her, tears stinging her eyes. “Thank you,” she whispered. 

“It’s no problem,” her friend said softly. “Can you manage the rest on your own?” Betty nodded and Cheryl left her alone to finish up. 

When she was done her bath, she pulled on the clothes Toni had laid out and went back to bed. Both women were waiting and had a first aid kit and after they applied salve and bandages to her palms, Betty curled up on the bed and Toni pulled the covers over her and dropped a kiss on her head. They left the room and she lay alone and the pain that she had been trying to keep at bay suddenly washed over her in waves and she began to sob. Deep, gut wrenching sobs that she couldn’t hold back no matter how much she tried. 

Her brother had sold Polly and her. Polly wasn’t fortunate enough to get rescued by the Serpents. Archie was dead. Her dear friend who had been so kind to her. Jughead had kept things from her because he hadn’t wanted to hurt her but it made it almost worse. He had known. He had known all along and hadn’t told her. Betty felt the bed dip as someone lay down next to her.

“It’s going to be okay,” Cheryl said gently, spooning her and wrapping her arms around her, hugging her close. Betty knew the woman was doing her best to offer her comfort and despite how angry she was at him, she wanted Jughead’s arms around her. His strong arms that always engulfed her and she only cried harder. Toni lay down on the other side, facing her and took her hands, her own tears in her eyes.

“I want Jughead to come home,” Betty managed through her sobs. 

“I know, sweetie,” Toni sighed. “I’m sorry he’s not here. I don’t think he knows how to handle losing Archie and hurting you and finding the traitor all in the same night. The loner part of himself kicked in and he’s off dealing with this on his own. I hope he realizes soon that it’s better with someone to help him.”

“We’re sorry we didn’t tell you about Polly,” Cheryl said tearfully at her back. “Jughead….he just….he really didn’t want to hurt you…” she trailed off and Betty knew that she was crying as well.

“I’m sorry that Archie died,” Betty whispered. “He was a really good man.”

“Yeah, he was,” Toni whispered back, her tears trailing down her cheeks and into her hair. Betty wrapped her arms around her and pulled her close, thankful for the two amazing women who had become her closest friends and that they had each other when everything seemed so dark. They lay there, arms wrapped around each other, crying and mourning for everything they had lost.

 

Betty didn’t get much rest, the nightmares coming as soon as she fell asleep so she fought it and only got a few minutes at a time. She sat on the couch, day two of Jughead being gone and everything hurt. Her heart, her mind, her body. She looked over at Cheryl in the kitchen.

“Cheryl?”

“Yeah?”

“The list we got from the heist…would my sister be on it?” Betty asked quietly, her voice trembling slightly. Cheryl put down the glass of water she was drinking and walked over, sitting next to her.

“Yes, she was probably on there. I hadn’t talked to Jughead yet about what he and Pea found and then all this happened.”

“So, if she was on there, he would know where she was?”

“I don’t…” Cheryl spoke slowly and Betty gave her a look that she hoped conveyed that she needed the truth. “Yes, he would know.”

“Okay,” Betty whispered, clenching her fingers against the bandages on her hands.

“Betty, please try to remember, he didn’t…”

“He didn’t want to hurt me. I understand,” she nodded. Cheryl was about to say something when there was a knock on the door. She went to answer it and Betty was surprised to see FP standing there.

“What do you want?” Cheryl asked, not so nicely.

“Hey Cheryl,” he said slowly, his tone subdued. “I was wondering if I could speak to Betty.” 

“Why? You want to tell her more horrible shit?” the red head snapped.

“I deserve that,” FP nodded. “But please…”

“Betty?” Cheryl called.

“It’s okay,” Betty said softly. Really, what more could the man do? FP walked in slowly and Betty thought he looked like he’d gotten kicked in the stomach and she figured having a friend die and your best friend being a traitor would do that to a man. She stood slowly and he motioned her to sit.

“No, please don’t get up,” he said quickly. She settled back and he took the chair next to the couch. “You look tired,” he observed regretfully.

“Yeah, I….it’s hard to sleep,” Betty offered, watching him and wondering. He looked uncomfortable and fidgeted a bit before he spoke.

“I wanted to apologize Betty,” he began quietly. “For how I’ve been acting and for what I did the other night. I have no excuse and I am truly sorry.” Betty’s eyes widened in surprise as she stared at him. He looked genuinely remorseful and he was gripping his hands together nervously. “I’m not asking for forgiveness because God knows I don’t deserve it and I don’t expect any, but I just needed to say the words face to face and let you know that I’m sorry.” She glanced at Cheryl who stood there fuming and looking much like she wanted to rip FP’s head off and she looked back at the man and gave a small nod.

“Thank you,” Betty said softly. “I appreciate it.” 

“Seriously?” Cheryl laughed. “Don’t fucking thank him. He doesn’t deserve a thank you.” FP said nothing, only focused on the floor and Betty slowly stood, looking at her furious friend.

“We’ve all lost a lot the last couple of days,” Betty said, her heart heavy and her eyes once again filling with tears. “FP included. I’m not going to add to anybody’s pain.” She looked back at the man who suddenly seemed so small to her. Small and broken. “Thank you FP and I accept your apology.” She lay a hand on his shoulder and gave a small squeeze and disappeared into the other room. FP stood and looked at the door she had walked through, seeming surprised.

“Wow,” he said slowly. “She really is something special.”

“Yeah, she is,” Cheryl snapped. “And your son is completely in love with her, for the first time in his life, he found someone who gives him life and thanks to you, it’s fucking broken. You broke her! And if this goes badly when he gets his ass back here, I will never speak to you again!” FP swallowed and nodded and quietly let himself out.

 

 

Jughead missed Betty. He had a raging headache, his stomach and chest hurt, his eyes felt like sandpaper because he refused to cry, and he missed Betty. He sat in the car on the beach, a long way from the city and watched the water crash against the rocks and then pulled out his phone. He itched to send her a text; to apologize, to ask if she was alright but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. 

He had a text from Toni telling him that Archie’s funeral was the following day and he sighed. Three days he’d been gone and he felt worse than when he left. His rage and grief were at a constant simmer and not even the scotch covered it up anymore. He’d woken up that morning, throwing up and had decided he’d better stop before he made a bigger mess of himself and had drank two pots of coffee to sober up and ended up in a tattoo shop to add to his collection and then had driven out here to the beach to collect his thoughts. He had sent his father a text a couple hours earlier and knew he would be showing up soon because FP Jones was all kinds of cooperative now.

He looked over at the seat next to him and his heart ached at the sight of the dried blood. He couldn’t be in this car anymore, knowing Archie had been dying in it. His blood staining the seat and floor mats. He grabbed the bottle of scotch sitting there and looked around for anything he’d need to take with and shoved them in his bag and climbed out, going to sit on the hood. 

The sun was setting and it seemed almost like the end of a different life. Tomorrow they would bury Archie and their new life would begin and he angrily blinked away the tears that stung his eyes. He didn’t want to cry because if he started, he didn’t know if he’d be able to stop. 

As he was lighting his third cigarette, FP pulled in at the top of the cliff from where he was sitting and climbed out of his car. Jughead knew he wouldn’t take the vehicle down the narrow path like he had because he’d never get it back up and he waited until he had walked down to join him. He sat on the hood next to him and Jughead handed him a smoke that he lit, taking a long drag. FP glanced at the unopened bottle of scotch on the hood and then at his son.

“You been drinking?” he asked quietly.

“I’m done now,” Jughead shrugged, blowing smoke as he watched the day fade away.

“Why am I out here? I’m assuming Pea let you know that I took care of TallBoy and you don’t need to drown me.” Jughead let out a humorless laugh and snuffed out his cigarette on the hood of the car and FP winced at the mark it made.

“No, I needed a ride,” he explained.

“Something wrong with your car? You know, before you drove it down here with no way of getting it back up?”

“I won’t be needing it anymore,” Jughead shrugged and jumped off the hood. He grabbed the bottle of scotch and opened it, soaking a rag he had with it and hanging it on the gas tank; the rest he poured all over the top and hood of the car. FP jumped off and watched him in surprise.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“It’s got Archie’s blood all over the inside. Won’t come clean. Fangs as well.”

“So you’re going to burn it?” FP asked with a wince. “You could still get a good penny for it, just replace the seats.”

“No,” was all Jughead said as he threw the bottle into the open window and started walking away. FP hurried after him as he lit another cigarette and then tossed the still burning lighter onto the top of the car. It was instantly engulfed in flames and they hurried up the incline to the other vehicle before the tank blew. The explosion was quite impressive and they both jumped and then just stood looking down at the flames.

“Feel better?” FP asked quietly.

“Not even in the slightest.”

“In case you were wondering, things at home are quiet. I mean, people are wondering where their leader is and it’d be nice if you showed up and helped ease their minds.”

“You’ve never cared before about me showing up,” Jughead said with laugh. “I mean, this would be your time to swoop in and convince everyone how unfit I am.” FP let out a long sigh and turned to his son.

“I’m sorry Jughead. For everything. I’m sorry that I’ve spent the last 6 years trying to undermine you and completely missing that my best friend was fucking us over and trying to have you killed,” he said quietly, his voice breaking a little. “I never wanted this. I never wanted things to be like this. I think what pissed me off the most about you was that I saw instantly that you were a far superior leader than I ever was and it stung. It stung how you didn’t need or want my help or advice and when I should have been proud and supportive, I acted like a child and I’m truly sorry. I’m also sorry for what I did to Betty the other night. I have no excuses other than the fact that I’m an asshole and I’m so sorry.” Jughead clenched his jaw and didn’t say anything for a while as he watched his car burn.

“I appreciate that,” he said after a while. “Thank you. As for Betty, I’m not the one you need to be apologizing to.” 

“I do though because I disrespected you and your lady, but I did also apologize to Betty..…” FP said slowly and Jughead looked at him in surprise. “I’m sorry I didn’t see it before but she’s quite a woman. Accepted my apology and pissed of Cheryl at the same time.”

“You…you saw Betty,” Jughead asked, letting out a shaky breath.

“Yeah, I did…”

“Is she okay?” he asked in a whisper.

“I’m not sure,” FP explained. “She looked completely exhausted and she had bandages on her hands.” Jughead closed his eyes and ran a hand over his face.

“Fuck,” he muttered, his gut clenching in regret. 

“Is that a usual thing? The hands? Why does she have bandages on them?”

“She digs her nails in when she’s having a panic or anxiety attack,” Jughead said, his voice trembling.

“Christ, I’m so sorry,” FP said again, the regret clear.

“Let’s get out of here,” Jughead said abruptly, turning and walking to the car, getting into the passenger seat and throwing his bag in the back. FP climbed in and started the car, pulling away from the secluded beach and headed back to the city.

“Where we headed?” 

“I’m going to need your car once we get back,” Jughead said, staring out the passenger window. “If it’s alright with you to catch a cab home once we get within city limits so I can head to where I’m going.”

“And where is that?”

“Just need to take care of some things and make some arrangements.”

“What kind of arrangements?” FP asked curiously. “You aren’t planning on doing something stupid, are you?”

“I’ll be fine. I’ll be at the funeral tomorrow.”

“And after?” 

“I’ll come home,” Jughead said softly.

 

Once back in the city, FP left the car with Jughead and took a cab home and Jughead drove around for a while thinking about his plan before he headed to his destination. He stood outside the door of the townhouse for a while, thinking and rethinking and then he let out a weary sigh and pressed the door buzzer. It took a few minutes before it opened.

“Well, I didn’t think your shadow would ever fall across my door again,” Ava said with a small smile as she stared at him in surprise. “Would you like to come in?” she asked softly when he made no move and said nothing. She stepped back and he walked through the door. He wandered into the living room and over to the side bar and poured himself a shot and swallowed it, wincing at the familiar burn. “You look like shit,” she remarked when he put the glass down.

“Thanks,” he muttered.

“It’s nine at night,” she observed. “And as you can see,” she motioned with her hand to her pajamas and robe. “I have nothing to do tonight and was about to go to bed. Is this a booty call or something because I have to tell you, I’m not really interested.”

“That’s the last thing I’d want,” he sighed.

“Gee, thanks,” she said with an eye roll. “Plus, I’m pretty sure you’d piss off Archie as we’re in some sort of…”

“Archie’s dead,” Jughead blurted and then winced at the callus way he'd said it. Ava froze, her hand on her chest, sucking in a breath.

“Wha…what?” she choked out. He watched her face go from surprise to shock and then it crumbled a little. “How?”

“Chic killed him.”

“Jesus Christ,” she whispered, hurrying over to the couch and sitting down, as if not trusting her legs to keep her standing. Jughead watched her and suddenly felt like an asshole. It was clear that Ava cared about Archie and he must have cared about her as he kept coming back to her and he hadn’t acknowledged that they might have been something more than fuck buddies. 

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly, not really sure of what else to say. 

“I actually really liked him,” she said, her voice shaking and her eyes filling with tears. “He was funny and sweet. I mean, I know it kind of started with him just wanting to snoop around and have a roll in the hay, but I think…I think he…”

“He did,” Jughead assured her. 

“I’m so sorry, Jughead,” she breathed. “I know you two were best friends and I’m so sorry you got caught up in a mess with Chic.”

“That’s part of the reason I’m here,” Jughead said, sitting down in a chair. “I was wondering if I could use your phone?”

“My phone?”

“To call him,” Jughead explained. “He won’t be suspicious if it’s coming from a number he knows.” Ava seemed surprised.

“Jug, I haven’t called him in years. I doubt he still has the phone.”

“He does,” he informed her. “We stole a list for the feds with info about the business he’s caught up in and all his info was on there, including the number that Archie saw on your phone.”

“Am I on the list?” she asked, horrified.

“No.”

"Okay,” she said quietly and went to get the phone. “When is the funeral?” Ava asked when she returned.

“Tomorrow, 3:00 pm. Just a small service at the gravesite in New Haven Cemetary,” he spoke quietly. “You’re welcome to come.”

“Oh no,” she said with a tearful laugh. “I know I’m not anyone’s favorite and I don’t want to cause any kind of scene. I’ll visit him on my own.”

“Whatever you’re more comfortable with,” he nodded. Ava scrolled her numbers and found the one she needed and handed him the phone. Jughead took a deep breath and hit the call button and waited. It took 6 rings before it was answered and Jughead would have recognized that slimy voice anywhere.

“Chic Cooper,” he said mildly.

“Well, well,” Chic laughed on the other end. “If it isn’t Jughead Jones.”

 

 

Betty was nervous and anxious and was sitting quietly on the couch watching the minutes pass as the time for the funeral moved closer when there was a knock at the door. Toni and Cheryl had finally given her a minute to breathe alone when they went to get ready and she got up to see who it was. Pop stood there with a small sad smile on his face.

“Hi honey,” he said softly and she managed a wobbly smile as she let him in.

“Hi Pop,” she replied, leaning in for a hug. “You look very handsome,” Betty informed him, taking in his suit. 

“Thank you my dear, but I’m having a bit of trouble with this tie and was wondering if you could help me,” he requested, fiddling with it around his neck. Betty smiled and stepped closer, shooing his hands away and tying it for him. “So, how are you doing?” the older man asked softly, his blue eyes gentle and kind.

“Fine,” Betty lied, avoiding his eyes.

“Don’t lie to me girl,” he huffed. “I’m pretty sure you’re not fine.”

“I will be,” she offered. Pop took her hands and stopped her fiddling on his tie and she lifted tear filled eyes to his. “I don’t really know what to feel right now about all this. All I know is that it hurts. No matter what I’m thinking, it just hurts. And I…I miss Jughead,” she whispered brokenly. “He’s been gone for 4 days and….I know I shouldn’t care, but…”

“Why shouldn’t you care?” Pop asked gruffly. “You love the boy, yes?”

“Yeah…” Betty whispered, a tear managing to escape and slipping down her cheek. Pop smiled and wiped it away.

“He’ll be at the funeral,” he assured her. “There’s no way he’d miss it and then he’ll come home.”

“How do you know?”

“Because his family is here.”

“Yes, the Serpents need him.”

“I meant you,” Pop said gently. “Betty, Jughead loves you and yes, he needs a good kick in the ass for leaving you on such an awful night, but he does love you. He’s never faced anything quite like this and I’m afraid he didn’t do so well with it, but he’ll get his head out of his ass soon enough.” Betty let out a small laugh and he smiled.

“I like the way you talk. No nonsense and telling the truth,” she admitted. “Somehow, it always makes me feel better.” She finished with his tie and smoothed it over his chest. “There you go.”

“Thank you my dear. You’ll be alright later? Facing burying Archie and seeing Jughead again?”

“Well, whether I’m ready or not, it has to be done,” Betty shrugged and Pop rested his hands on her shoulders.

“I want you to know something, young lady; you are one of the most wonderful and amazing women I’ve ever met. Right from the start, I knew you were the one for my grandson and that he’d finally found the right woman to spend his life with…”

“Pop,” Betty whispered with a shake of her head.

“Stop it,” he ordered, lifting her trembling chin. “You are his partner and I know you’re going through a rough spot, but don’t ever doubt that he loves you and that you belong together. He has his faults and he doesn’t have the slightest idea on how to navigate a relationship when things hit a snag and you probably don’t either but you’ll get through this, I promise.” Betty said nothing, only nodded, unable to form words around the lump in her throat and the ache in her heart. Pop pulled her in for a hug and she wet his shirt with her tears and he sighed wearily.

“You kids,” he muttered. “You’re going to be the death of me.”

 

 

It was a beautiful day.

Somewhere in the few months that she’d been with the Serpents, Summer had turned into fall and the leaves on the trees were a vast array of colors that Betty couldn’t seem to look away from.

The beauty belied the sadness of the day as the Serpents gathered around the casket that held the body of Archie Andrews. There had been a viewing earlier and she had barely glanced at him, cold and pale in the casket and she had been wracked with sobs. Her brother had done this. Taken a beloved member of the Serpents. 

Betty felt a hand slip into hers and turned to offer Cheryl a wobbly smile. The woman had rarely left her side over the last 4 days and she would be forever grateful. She could have never done this without her and Toni. She heard Cheryl’s slight intake of breath and lifted her eyes, her heart beginning to pound and ache furiously as Jughead stepped from a car and walked up to the gravesite. He had managed to find a suit and she took a steadying breath, feeling herself start to tremble as she devoured him with her eyes.

He looked exhausted. Exhausted and tormented, his eyes grieved and his face in sorrow. He looked exactly how she felt. Jughead took his place at the foot of the casket and was quickly flanked by FP and Pop. They made a formidable trio; three generations of Serpents. Tall, handsome, strong; and finally, for the first time in 6 years, standing united. 

Jughead stared at the casket for a minute before he lifted his eyes and they locked with hers. Betty didn’t realize she was squeezing Cheryl and Toni’s hands until they both gave a slight tug and she loosened her grip. She had missed him so much, even in the hurt and anger she felt, after having been with him every day for weeks, the four days without him had been awful. She wanted to run to him but it wasn’t the place for anything like that and he swallowed, his hands clenching at his side as he continued to watch her. 

Betty looked down after a moment, unable to hold his gaze anymore without wanting to dissolve in sobs and she felt Cheryl gave her hand a small squeeze, noting the exchange between her and Jughead. When she looked back to him again, he had his eyes focused back on the casket and they remained there. 

There was a clergyman who started the service and Betty didn’t pay much attention as he did the usual funeral ceremony. She remembered the routine from her parent’s funeral and it didn’t make her feel better in any way. When he was finished, Pop stepped forward and laid his hand on the casket and let out a long sigh.

“Archie Andrews was one of those rare people that you could count on to be there for you, no matter what,” he began, his voice full of grief. “I’ve known the boy since he was a kid, always hanging around and getting into trouble with Jughead. They were inseparable and there for each other in every way. They used to do this thing when they were young, before we’d go out on some kind of Serpent mission, they’d clasp hands and touch foreheads and say ‘ride together, die together’. They always did that until someone told them it gave them bad vibes and then they started to just give a solid shoulder squeeze but we all knew what they were thinking.” Betty glanced at Jughead and she could see he was really struggling to not cry and she wanted to go to him so badly but she was anxious and a little afraid. When she saw FP place his hand on his shoulder and saw him relax a little, she stayed in place.

“You could count on him. He would have done anything for any Serpent and he was loyal to a fault. Archie took a bullet for Jughead,” Pop continued. “He took the bullet just like Jughead would have done for him had he had the chance. He took it for all the Serpents. He died for those he loved and we’ll never forget him. You will be avenged Archie, that I can promise you,” he finished firmly and took a step back again. Jughead stepped up to the casket and put his hand on it, trying unsuccessfully to keep it from shaking. He didn’t speak for a long time and when he did, his voice was hoarse and haunted.

“You were the best man I ever knew,” was all he managed to say and Betty felt her tears flow down her cheeks as Toni started to sob beside her. Nothing more was said and after a while, the casket was lowered a little into the ground and one by one, the Serpents filed by and dropped a rose down on top of it and Betty followed the ritual, keeping her eyes on Jughead, who stood broken, staring down at the casket as everyone filed past him and touched his arm before walking to the cars. He didn’t move until her hand fell on his arm and his eyes came up and met hers.

Betty didn’t know what to say and she only managed a teary tiny smile and her heart broke at the pain in his gaze. He gave a slight nod and she moved on, letting others have their moment. As she walked to the car with Toni and Cheryl, she noticed Agents Keller and Mason standing by a car, watching the procession. They came in support but remained a respectful distance away. In the car, Betty couldn’t take her eyes from Jughead as soon he was standing alone at the grave and her heart hurt for him. 

“I hate this so much,” she whispered, wiping at her eyes.

“He needs to take some time alone with him and he’ll come home. You’ll have your time with him later, Betty,” Toni said, giving her a hug. “I hate it too. It is never easy to bury someone you love.” Betty nodded and kept watching as they drove off, her eyes on the man she loved until she could no longer see him.

 

 

Jughead didn’t know how long he stood staring at the casket, his heart and mind heavy with grief. He was alone now, the men tending to the grave standing off to the side and waiting for him to finish. He stepped forward and dropped the rose he was holding down on the pile already on the casket and let out a long sigh.

“I’m really going to miss you,” he whispered. “You were the best friend anyone could ask for and I promise you, I will not rest until Chic Cooper is in hell.” 

He turned and walked back to his car, leaving some of his heart behind. He noticed the agents slowly walking toward him and let out a sigh, turning to them when he reached his car.

“This isn’t a good time,” he muttered.

“We’re only here to give our respects,” Keller said quietly. “I’m sorry about what happened to Archie. We’ll do everything we can to find and…”

“No,” Jughead interrupted harshly. “This fight belongs to me and don’t you dare interfere.”

“Jug…”

“You heard me,” Jughead said firmly and climbed into his car, slamming the door and shutting them out. He drove off without another glance.

 

Jughead walked into the lounge where he knew all the Serpents would be gathered after the funeral and walked to the bar and Toni, eyes red and sad, handed him a drink. He gave her a small smile of thanks and sipped at it as he looked around the room

“She’s not here,” Toni said softly. “She didn’t want to intrude on the family gathering of the Serpents.” Jughead looked at her in surprise.

“What? This is her family as much as ours,” he insisted.

“Yeah, well, she hasn’t felt that way over the last few days,” Cheryl snapped as she walked up. Jughead looked at her and let out a sigh.

“Can you not right now?” he grumbled.

“Can I not what? Can I not demand to know where the fuck you’ve been when the woman you love had a complete fucking breakdown? I know that this was hard on you Jughead, but it was hard on all of us. Archie dying was hard on Betty as well. He was her friend. Not only was she dealing with that but she had to deal with the fact that we had been keeping shit from her for weeks. She had to deal with feeling like the man she loved betrayed her. Had to deal with knowing her sister had been sold as a sex slave. She had to deal with the fact that you yelled for all the world to hear that you didn’t want anything to do with love! She is devastated! She has barely slept and we had to climb in bed with her and hold her while even in her anger, she wept with missing you. She has barely eaten, she ripped her hands to shreds and she’s a complete fucking mess and you disappeared like a god damn coward who couldn’t face the mess you created!”

“Cheryl! That’s enough!” Pop snapped, walking up to them. “What the hell are you doing?” Jughead stood, his gut clenching as the pain of her words swept over him. He had noticed at the grave that Betty wasn’t doing well. She looked pale and exhausted, her eyes bloodshot and awash with tears. He’d noticed her bandaged hands and everything in him had hurt. Cheryl’s eyes were full of tears, her chin trembling and seemed shocked by her own outburst.

“I’m…I’m sorry,” she whispered and hurried off, Toni rushing after her. Jughead’s hand shook as he lifted his glass and swallowed his drink, feeling like he was about to completely lose it. He saw JB walk up to him out of the corner of his eye and he gritted his teeth as he turned to look at her.

“Hi Jug,” she said softly, offering him a smile. “It’s good to have you home again.” Jughead just stared at her, realizing she wasn’t going to offer an apology like his father had, that she didn’t feel any remorse for her part in it. He slammed his glass down on the bar and walked away from her. He left the lounge and headed upstairs, his heart aching for Betty.

Walking into the apartment felt a little strange since he’d been gone for 4 days and he stood for a moment to get his bearings and then noticed how quiet it seemed. Betty wasn’t in a front room and he went to the bedroom and that was empty as well. In fact, the bed was made and the room felt cold, like nobody had been there in a while and he slowly walked out to the kitchen, his heart twisting as he looked at the door to the guest suite. It was open and he realized she had moved herself back in there. Jughead could feel himself start to tremble and everything he had been pushing down the last few days started to churn inside him and he swallowed around the lump in his throat. He had lost Archie. He couldn’t bear it if he lost her too. Even while he’d been away and convinced himself that she now hated him, he didn’t want it to be true. 

He needed her.

Desperately.

Jughead walked over to the door and opened it further, seeing her laying curled up on the bed, turned away from him. She seemed so small and he wanted to rush over and gather her in his arms and he couldn’t seem to move. He finally managed to speak.

“I’m sorry Betty,” he said hoarsely. “I’m so sorry.” It came out a broken whisper and he saw her stiffen but she didn’t move and he slowly turned and walked back into his apartment, his heart splintering to pieces.

 

Betty lay on the bed, almost unable to breathe when she heard him shuffle and head back into the other room. She rolled over and saw the empty doorway and scrambled off the bed, despite it all, she couldn’t let them be apart anymore. She hurried over to the door and watched as he walked toward his room, his shoulders slumped, his head down and her eyes filled with tears.

“Jug,” she whimpered and he turned immediately, the look on his face breaking her heart. He was crumbling right in front of her eyes and she rushed over and then she was in his arms and he held her so tightly, she almost couldn’t breathe. Betty wilted against him, for the first time in days feeling like she was home. Like she could steady herself.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered brokenly. “I’m so sorry.” She could feel him shaking uncontrollably and realized he was on the verge of losing it and he seemed to stumble a little as his legs started to give and Betty quickly ushered him back a couple of steps so he could lean on the wall and he fell against it, his arms still holding her tight and then he slid down to the floor, her in his lap, his face buried in her hair and he began to cry. She wrapped her arms around him and held on as she tried to absorb his pain, the same heavy sobs that she had experienced just days before and she realized that he’d been holding it in this entire time. 

Betty had no idea how long they sat there or how long he cried but after a long while he slowly seemed to gain control of himself until all she felt was body shudders and broken breathing against her neck. Betty slowly pulled back and he leaned his head against the wall, his face streaked with tears, his eyes filled with pain and regret.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, a few more tears slipping down his cheeks, mimicking her own. There had been so much pain the last few days, she decided there was no need for any more this night.

“Don’t,” she murmured, wiping his tears. “Not tonight.”

“I need to say some things,” he insisted, his arms still holding her tight. Betty nodded and waited for him to start. Jughead stretched his legs out and adjusted her so she leaned against his chest, his chin resting on her head. Betty wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled close, breathing in his familiar scent and finding herself begin to warm for the first time in days.

“I’m so sorry that I didn’t tell you about Polly,” he said haltingly. “I should have right from the start and Cheryl tried to convince me to but I foolishly thought I was protecting you from being more hurt than you already were. I decided I was going to fix everything before I told you what your brother had done. I am so sorry for that and I’m so sorry for how you found out. I’m sorry for leaving you that night. I have no excuse except that I was so consumed with rage, I didn’t trust myself to be around anybody.”

“It’s okay, Jug,” Betty whispered. “Archie had just died and…”

“No, that’s no excuse,” he insisted. “Yes, Archie was dead, but you were alive and in pain and I should have helped you. I should have been there for you. You look so exhausted and worn out and Cheryl told me that you’ve barely slept or ate since it happened and I’m so sorry I wasn’t here to help you through this.”

“Cheryl helped me,” Betty said softly, lifting her head to look at him.

“She was doing what I should have been doing,” Jughead sighed. “I should have held you while you cried and I should have been taking care of you.” He took her hands and let out a shaky breath as he pressed a kiss to each palm. “I’m so sorry I made you do this,” he whispered, more tears filling his eyes. “It kills me that I was the reason you did this. I don’t ever want to be the reason you do this.”

“It’s okay,” Betty said softly. “And this isn’t just about you so stop blaming yourself.”

“I’ll never stop blaming myself,” he said sadly. “I should have told you the truth.” Betty studied his face for a moment.

“Jug?” she whispered. “Do you know where my sister is?” Jughead let out a sigh and hugged her closer.

“Pea found out she was sold to a man in Europe,” he said sadly. Betty let out a sob and buried her face against his neck. “But there is a bit of good news.” She leaned back and looked at him, her face wet with her tears. “The man’s son helped her escape and they’ve gone into hiding. I promise you, we are going to find her for you, Betty. I promise!” 

“Where did you go?” she asked, resting her head on his shoulder, quickly changing the subject so she wouldn’t have to think of her sister in the hands of a monster.

“I found a hotel and I holed up for two days and drank myself into a stupor. I didn’t want to feel anything and I was convinced you hated me and I decided to just drink until I didn’t even know where I was, nevermind feeling something. I made myself sick with scotch and when I woke up on the third day throwing up, I decided to get my shit together. I sobered up and went to a tattoo parlour and then I called my dad and we burned the car Archie died in,” Jughead spoke quietly. Betty looked at him in surprise. 

“You burned the benz?” she gasped.

“Yeah,” he shrugged. “I just couldn’t look at it anymore; all the blood still inside. I just needed to be rid of it.” She nodded in understanding.

“You got a tattoo for Archie?” she asked softly. Jughead pulled up his sleeve and she saw Archie’s name inked down his inner forearm and she traced the letters with her finger. 

“I’m so sorry Jug,” she said heavily, more tears filling her eyes. “I’m so sorry for what Chic did.”

“Don’t,” he whispered. “Don’t apologize for what that fucker did. There is no need.” Betty nodded again and wiped her face. “After we burned the car, I went to see Ava,” Jughead said slowly and Betty raised her brows in surprise.

“You told her about Archie?” she asked and he nodded. “Was she okay? I think Archie really liked her.”

“She was shook up and even though she tried to downplay it, I know she really liked him too. I also used her phone to call Chic.” Betty jerked back in surprise.

“What?” she gasped. “Why?”

“Because he can’t get away with all he’s done, because he needs to pay for it and…” he trailed off and she grabbed his face.

“What?”

“I made myself a promise to not keep anything from you anymore,” Jughead sighed as he held her gaze. “We’re going to meet up, one on one,” he explained.

“No, Jug, please,” Betty cried, throwing her arms around him and holding him tightly. “Please don’t.”

“I have to,” he said quietly and she pulled back to look at him. “He agreed to face me, man to man…” Betty snorted and let out a laugh.

“And you believe him?” she gasped. “He’s going to kill you! He’ll demand you return me and he’ll kill you!”

“I’m willing to die for you Betty,” he said hoarsely. 

“Jug, please,” she pleaded brokenly. “Don’t do that. Don't go.”

“I have to,” he whispered. She was quiet for a long time before speaking.

“Where are you meeting him?”

“The building where we found you.”

“He’ll never let you get close,” she whispered, horrified at the plan. “Jug, he will kill you.”

“He won’t see me coming,” Jughead insisted. “I promise you, he will not win.”

“When?”

“Tomorrow.”

“No,” she cried. “You just came back!”

“And I’ll come back again. This shit needs to end, Betty. I won’t wait any longer,” Jughead said firmly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him, her tears wetting his neck. It was his turn to hold her while she cried and she barely noticed as he pushed himself up the wall to a standing position, still holding her in his arms. He headed to their room, leaving behind the suite she had holed up in and he lay down on the bed with her, holding her while she cried. There had been so many tears the last few days and he hated that he was causing more but he needed to do this. 

A long while later, after she had stilled, he noticed she had fallen asleep and he moved slowly and took off the black dress she wore and got out of his own clothes and got them settled under the covers. He pulled her close and breathed a sigh of relief, the feel of her in his arms again seeming the lesson the pain in his heart. She _was_ his heart and he never wanted to lose her. 

Betty woke a couple of hours later, her body so tired but so filled with need. She turned and found Jughead watching her, his eyes glittering in the faint light of the room. She touched his face, trying to soothe the lines of grief and exhaustion from it as he shifted them until they were face to face, pressed against each other.

“I missed you,” she whispered. “I was so angry with you and I felt betrayed and it hurt so much and yet, all I wanted was to be in your arms because you’re the only one who keeps me steady.”

“I missed you too and I’m so sorry,” he whispered back in remorse, his hand coming up to trail his fingers along her jaw. Betty leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his mouth and his hand slid into her hair as he kissed her back gently. She pressed against him and let her arms go around him, pulling him closer and he pulled away, his breathing hitched. “Betty, we don’t have to…” She kissed him again, stopping his words and pulling him on top of her, wrapping herself around him. 

“We’re naked,” she observed and he nodded sheepishly.

“I figured you wouldn’t want to sleep in your dress and you’re still wearing your panties and bra.”

She kissed him again and he didn’t fight her, his kiss going from gentle to hungry, his tongue sweeping across her lip and sliding into her mouth when she opened for him. She whimpered as it swept inside, tangling with hers. 

Betty moved her hands down his back, sensing a desperation in him that matched her own, his body tight with tension. He moved against her, letting her feel his need as his mouth left hers and moved down her neck, kissing and licking her skin, latching on to her pulse point and sucking until the skin bruised. 

“I need you,” he whispered hoarsely against her neck, his hands moving up her sides, brushing against her breasts and she reached behind her and pulled off her bra and he lowered his head and took her nipple in his mouth, swirling his tongue around it as she moaned and arched up against him. His hand moved slowly down her body and between her legs and he found her panties warm and damp with arousal. He hooked his fingers in the elastic and pulled them down her legs, and tossing them aside, his mouth coming back to hers as his fingers moved back between her legs. 

“Fuck Betty,” he groaned as he found her wet and hot, his fingers sliding through the moisture and slipping inside her, his thumb finding her clit, pressing against it. 

“I need you Jug,” she pleaded, voicing his earlier admission, her hand moving to tug down his boxers and he helped her, kicking them aside and settling back over her. Betty was trembling, feeling his urgency and his need and she spread her legs further, pulling him to her and his hands slid down her arms to hers and he pulled them up over her head, threading his fingers through hers and his eyes locked with hers as he sank inside her. 

He pressed his mouth to hers again, catching her cry of pleasure as he started to move. A steady, deep pace that had her arching into him, lifting her legs to wrap around him as he pressed into her. Her breath hitched with pleasure as he lifted his head and stared down at her, his hands gripping hers tightly as he watched her face. Betty felt the fire race through her veins, his urgency as he picked up speed and she found herself desperate for them to find release in each other. She tightened her legs, straining against him, lifting her head and licking at his mouth and he groaned and took control, sliding his tongue inside, angling his head to go deeper. The kiss was ravenous, hungry, wet. He let go of one of her hands and moved his down to her thigh, gripping her leg and pulling it away from his waist, pressing it wide and opening her up further, sliding in deeper. 

“Fuck,” she whimpered as she felt her body start to shake, the intensity of his kiss and movements sending her to the edge quickly. She whimpered and Jughead’s thrust picked up speed, his hand moved between them, stroking over her and Betty felt herself tighten with pleasure. 

“Come baby,” he gasped against her mouth. “Please…”

“Come with me,” she pleaded, wrapping her leg back around him. His thrust got choppy and his fingers rubbed quickly against her and she fell apart as she felt him stiffen and shudder, his hand gripping the sheets as he spilled inside her, the clenching of her body pulling his release from him. He growled against her mouth as he thrust into her, spending himself until he had nothing left to give. Jughead collapsed on top of her, his breathing harsh against her neck, his body trembling. Betty held him close, trying to catch her breath, realizing that she was once again crying as her heart hammered in her chest and she suddenly became afraid as she remembered what he was doing the following day. She grasped his head and pulled it up so she could look at him, her hands moving to frame his face.

“Tell me you love me,” she pleaded, her body clinging to his, tears flowing down her cheeks. “I know it scares you and you don’t want to hurt anymore but I want to hear a man who cares about me and a man so wonderful and good that he would give his life for me tell me that he loves me, even if he doesn’t want to. Please….please…tell me you love me….” 

“Betty, you don’t think I…..” he started, staring down at her, his eyes dark and pained.

“Please Jughead,” she sobbed, talking over him, her body arching against his, her eyes glittering wildly. “Please, I….”

“I love you,” he whispered across her lips, silencing her cries. “I love you….” He kept whispering it as his mouth moved over her skin. As his hands soothed down her curves. As his body once again brought her to blissful release. He whispered it as she drifted off into sleep and long after she could no longer hear.

“I love you.”

 

Jughead woke the next morning, alone in bed. He frowned, feeling Betty's side of the bed and finding it cold. A piece of paper lay on the pillow and he picked it up and looked at it.

He could have sworn his heart stopped.

_I’m going to kill him._

“No,” he gasped. “No, no no….”


	25. Retribution

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **WARNING:** Violence (gun, stabbing, choking, fighting)  
>  Chic says some awful things to Betty

Jughead scrambled out of bed and raced to the front room and hit the alarm on the wall. Within minutes, Serpents all over the building were running for the meeting room. Nobody hit the alarm unless it was an emergency and it didn’t matter what anybody was doing, they dropped it and heeded the summons. It took Jughead only minutes to throw on some clothes and hurry to the meeting room where his snakes were already gathering. 

“What the hell’s going on?” FP asked worriedly. Pop was there as well, as were Toni, Cheryl, Pea and Fangs and at least 30 more men and women.

“Betty’s gone,” Jughead choked out, his heart racing and his stomach clenched in a painful knot.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Cheryl gasped. “Gone where?” Jughead threw the note on the table.

“She went after Chic.”

“Oh fucking hell,” Pea breathed out in horror. “Why in God’s name would she do that?”

“I’ll explain later. Pea, get to the security room and find out when she left and how the fuck she got out of the building without setting off any alarms.” Sweet Pea nodded and hurried from the room.

“Jughead, why would she go after Chic? Does she know where he is?” Toni asked.

“He’s in the building where we first rescued her. I was supposed to go meet him today.”

“What?” Pop snapped. “Alone?”

“I was supposed to, yes. He promised to meet me one on one and no, I’m not stupid enough to think he wouldn’t have fucked me over and I wasn’t going to just walk in there. He’d have never seen me coming.”

“Boy…” Pop said furiously. 

“Don’t start,” Jughead barked. “I knew what I was doing!”

“You were going after that pig alone?” Cheryl yelled angrily. “And you told her?”

“I didn’t want to hide things from her anymore!” Jughead yelled back.

“Jesus Christ,” Toni sighed, sinking into a chair. 

“How the hell does she even know how to get there or where the building is?” Fangs asked in confusion. Cheryl sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

“A couple weeks ago we were having a little girl’s night and we were getting drunk and she asked where the building was so she could make sure to never go to that street ever again?”

“Why the hell did you tell her?” Jughead yelled.

“Because I don’t much like keeping the truth from her,” she snapped back and he glared furiously at her dig.

“I need the same crew that came with the night we rescued Betty,” Jughead spoke. “The ones who know the layout and how to get in and out and move around without being detected. The ones who won’t get tripped up. Everyone else can go back to your apartments.” The group dwindled down to 15 people as the others left and Jughead noticed Pop and FP still standing there. He looked at them in exasperation.

“Boy, if you tell me to sit this one out, I will knock you upside the head. I love that girl too and I’m going to help bring her back!” Pop snapped. FP folded his arms across his chest and glared at Jughead, daring him to order him from the room. 

“Fine,” Jughead grumbled. “Don’t fuck it up.” A few minutes later Pea came back into the room, looking grim.

“The camera shows she left the building an hour ago through the tunnels.”

“Fuck,” Jughead breathed. “We need to move. Fangs, get the weapons from the vault and bag them and everyone else, head to the garage. We’re being watched and we’ll take the tunnels as well, but I expect everyone to run and anyone who lags behind, stays behind. Got it?”

“Got it!” the chorus of voices replied.

“And one more thing. We’re there to get Betty and to kill Chic. I don’t give a fuck about his associates and his men. Unless they engage and it’s life or death, you quietly put them down or out and we concentrate on finding Betty and Chic.” They all nodded at his order and headed to the garage.

 

Chic was sitting in his old office in the building where his most prized possession had been stolen. Jughead Jones was coming to meet him and like the moron that he was, he thought he’d be able to just walk in here and have a conversation, man to man. Oh, he was going to have a conversation alright; with Jughead chained to the dungeon wall while he tortured him. He was going to enjoy taking that bastard’s life.

Chic had men posted all over the premises, all waiting for Jones to show himself so they could take him down and drag him into the dungeon. He would get out of him where he was keeping Betty and then he was going to enjoy killing him.

“Boss?” Malachi’s voice came over the two way radio and Chic picked it up and clicked the button.

“Yeah? You see him?”

“Umm, no but someone did just walk up to the gate…”

“Well, who is it?” Chic asked impatiently.

“It’s your sister and she’s alone,” Malachi said slowly. 

“What did you say?”

“Betty’s at the gate.”

Chic froze in surprise and tried to make sense of what he was hearing. There was no way Betty was at the gate. Why the fuck would Betty be at the gate? 

“Boss?”

“Bring her to me,” Chic said quickly as he put the radio down. Had Jones let her come in his place? Had he sent her because he decided she wasn’t worth it? Had she come on her own? Whatever was going on, he had just hit the jackpot.

 

Betty tried not to show how scared she was as her brother’s man opened the gate and motioned her in. She wondered if maybe she hadn’t been foolish to do this. No, she was determined to do this. She wasn’t going to let Jughead get himself killed. 

She felt her skin crawl at being back in this place and everything in her wanted to turn and run but it was time to stand up and stand strong. She wasn’t going to let Chic and fear rule her life anymore. The man led her into the building and up a couple flights of stairs and she soon found herself in the same room with her evil brother. He motioned for his henchman to leave and then she was alone with him and she did her best to not have a meltdown or show that she was afraid

Chic leaned against the desk and crossed his arms across his chest, his eyes raking her from top to bottom and she shuddered in revulsion, clenching her hands at her side. 

“Well, well, you certainly filled out nicely,” Chic noted as he looked her over again. Her stomach churned and she concentrated on holding it together. “Had I not let that bitch Penny have her fun by starving you until you were ugly as fuck, I would have gotten thousands more. Maybe even a million.” Betty said nothing, refusing to engage in his sick exchange. “I should kill you,” he said casually, his eyes fixed on hers.

“I’m worth more alive, aren’t I?” she asked flatly. 

“Well, either Jones is a cowardly piece of shit and decided to just send you back or you left on your own, which is it?” Chic asked.

“He’s not a coward!” Betty snapped furiously and he let out a laugh.

“So then you left on your own? I’m assuming without his knowledge. Why would you do that?” he asked, moving away from the desk and coming to stand in front of her.

“I’m here to make a deal with you,” Betty said with a shrug, using every ounce of her willpower to keep her fear at bay.

“Is that so?” he asked softly, lifting his hand to trail his finger along her cheek. Betty swallowed to keep from vomiting, staying very still. “What kind of deal?” She let her fingers inch up from her palm toward her wrist until she grazed the ice pick she had hidden up her sleeve and held his gaze.

“Leave Jughead alone,” she requested.

“In exchange for what?”

“Me.” 

“You’re not too smart, are you Betty dear,” he laughed and she bristled, her fingers inching higher until she had a grip on the ice pick. “See, I don’t need to make any kind of deal because you’re here and as sure as you’re standing here, he’s going to come after you and then I’ll have you both, so no dear sister, there will be no deals made here today,” Chic informed her. “I’m going to enjoy killing him while you watch.” Betty wondered for just a second if the fury that went through her was the same kind of fury that went through Jughead the night Archie died and she tightened her grip on the ice pick and pulled it out of her sleeve as she swung her arm, aiming right for his black heart. 

He was quicker than she was, grabbing her wrist and twisting it painfully, the pick clattering to the floor. He laughed and she spit in his face. He rewarded her with a back hand across the face that sent her to the floor. It took only a second for it to register to Betty that she had made a big mistake. In her desperation to save Jughead’s life, she had foolishly walked into the lair of a seasoned killer. Before she could even see properly through the stars and fog of the slap, Chic had picked up the ice pick and grabbed her by the hair, hauling her to her feet as she cried out in pain.

“You disrespectful bitch,” he growled in her ear. “Causing me all these problems and then walking into _my_ space and thinking you’re going to take me down? Does Jones know what a pathetic piece of ass he’s banging?” he taunted. Betty let out a cry of rage and kicked back, connecting with his shin and he grabbed her arm, twisting it painfully behind her back and Betty cried out, tears stinging her eyes. She tried to focus, to gain control of herself so she could get the upper hand but he was shoving her out the door and down the hall.

Chic forced her down the stairs into the belly of the building and she soon found herself being forced into a cell of some sort and Betty took some deep breaths, trying to control the pain in her arm and focus.

“So,” Chic smirked, leaning against the iron frame of the door. “Did that red head make it?” Betty forgot to get control of herself and flew at him in a rage. He easily deflected her and shoved her back and she realized she wasn’t going to get anywhere like this. He manipulated, he hurt, he used things that he knew would torture people. She had to get the upper hand. She calmed herself and lowered to the stone bench, watching him carefully.

“Archie died,” she said quietly. “He was my friend.”

“He was Jughead’s friend too, wasn’t he? Seemed almost like his best friend, the way poor Jones reacted when I shot him. I think he may have cried,” Chic laughed and Betty clenched her jaw and felt herself tremble. Jughead had cried, in her arms the night before, and she had foolishly thought she could help him.

“What kind of monster are you?” she asked in a horrified whisper. “You’re a sociopath. You care about nothing and nobody, not even yourself.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Betty dear, the only person I care about _is_ myself and I’ve organized my life accordingly.”

“You sell women!” she yelled angrily. “How could you do something like that to people. You sold Polly…” she whimpered, shaking her head to try and clear the pain of it. “How could you do that to your sister?”

“I sold you too,” Chic laughed. “Now I can get you on your way, since your sister fucked up that deal for me by running off. I’m sure she’s probably dead by now.” Betty clenched her hands tightly and glared at him. “So, just what the hell did you think you were going to accomplish by coming here? Did you really think you were going to kill me?”

“I planned on it, yes,” she said with a shrug, the fear suddenly and strangely subsiding. He was a worthless coward and there wasn’t anything he could do to hurt her. Could he kill her? Yes, he could, but she wasn’t the same woman she had been when she had last been here. She was strong and the last few months had been the happiest of her life and he was never going to be able to take that away from her.

“And now that you’ve failed?” he taunted.

“Plan B,” she smiled coldly. Chic raised an eyebrow and played with the icepick he still held.

“And what exactly is plan B?”

“Jughead will find me.”

“Oh, I have no doubt that he’ll come and try to rescue you. In fact, I’m counting on it and we’ll be waiting. How exactly do you think he’s going to rescue you?”

“Because that’s just who he is and he promised to always protect me. Jughead Jones never breaks a promise,” she informed him. “Do you know what else he promised me, Chic?” Betty asked in deceptively soft voice.

“What’s that?”

“He promised me he would kill you.”

“Yeah, I remember him saying something like that to me,” Chic laughed. “But he doesn’t stand a chance against my army.”

“Well, that’s the thing,” Betty said with a slow smile. “I made sure he wouldn’t come alone. You see he meant to come and face you alone but now that he has to rescue me, I forced his hand. Jughead will be bringing his own army, and Chic, you and your slimy rats don’t stand a chance against a bunch of angry snakes.”

“I love this sad bit of courage you seem to have found with these Serpents,” Chic said walking slowly over to her. Betty stood and slowly clenched her fist, standing toe to toe with him.

“You know _nothing_ of courage and you wouldn’t recognise it if you saw it, but you’re right, the Serpents have given me courage. They’ve taught me what it means to stand up for each other, they’ve taught me what family means, they would die for each other. Who would you die for? Nothing and nobody because you have no honour. You have no spine and you certainly have no fucking courage.” Betty could see she was getting under his skin, his eyes going from mocking to furious.

“You think these people are your family?” he asked angrily, clenching his own fists and stepping closer. She took a step back and her back hit the stone wall. “I am your family!” he spat, his eyes turning dark with rage, with hate. 

“No,” Betty said, her chin trembling, her eyes filling with tears, her bravado slipping just a little. “You are _not_ my family. You are nothing and you always will be nothing!” Chic’s hand flew up and wrapped around her neck, shoving her hard against the wall and she clawed at it as she felt her windpipe closing up on her. 

“Shut the fuck up you ungrateful bitch,” he spat and her eyes widened when she suddenly felt cold steel pressed against her cheek. She had no idea where he got a gun but she figured he must have had it tucked in his pants. “I’m going to enjoy killing him in front of you. Maybe I’ll torture you in front of him a little first. I’d kind of like to see him cry again.” 

Something snapped inside her and Betty felt a roar of rage go through her and all the moves that Fangs and Sweet Pea had taught her suddenly appeared in her memory. She let herself go limp and dropped, her leg shooting out as she went down and she kicked him in the knee before he even realized what was happening. Chic let out a cry of pain and went down hard and she lashed out again and kicked him in the face but he was surprisingly quick as he rolled away from her third kick, his face bleeding and furious. Betty scrambled for the gun that had fallen but he kicked it away and limped after it and she jumped up just as he picked it up and as he turned, she swung her leg and kicked it out of his hand and he growled and lunged for her, slamming her back against the wall, this time using his entire body to hold her still and she couldn’t move as his hand tightened on her throat.

“Fuck, Jones,” he fumed, his eyes filled with rage. “I’m just going to fucking kill you and be done with you.” Betty gasped for breath as he slowly choked the air out of her. She felt her eyes fill with tears as she pulled at his hand, desperately struggling for air. She saw the crazed look in his eyes and realized she was out of time. He was really going to kill her. “Before you take your last pathetic breath,” Chic said with a laugh as spots began to appear in her vision. “I’d like you to know that your sister got sent to a sadistic mother fucker who got off on torturing women and since he didn’t particularily care if the women were virgins or not, I let Malachi have a go at her…” Betty let out a sob with with what little air she had left. “It would have been wonderful to sit and think about what that guy would have done to you, but this is so much….” 

Chic was cut off midsentence as he was suddenly wrenched away from her and quite literally thrown across the room and into the bars at the front of the cell before crumbling to the floor in a painful heap. Betty gasped for breath as she looked at the Serpents that had appeared out of nowhere, Jughead standing over Chic, fists clenched and face ridged with fury. 

“You were saying; you vile fuck?” he said, his voice deadly calm as he pressed his boot to Chic’s neck. Betty was shaking, the things he’d said about Polly making her want to throw up and she spied his gun still laying on the floor and she slowly picked it up and pointed it at Chic.

“Jug,” Pea said softly, his eyes on her. Jughead turned to him and saw him motion in her direction and he turned to find her with the gun trained at Chic’s head. She was shaking so much, she almost dropped it and Jughead slowly stepped away from Chic and walked over to her, Pea immediately taking his place with his own boot on neck.

“Betty,” Jughead said softly, taking care not to startle her or make any sudden movements as she cried, the gun shaking in her hand. She tore her gaze away from Chic and focused on him and saw the worry mixed with anger in his eyes. His gaze took in her marks from getting hit and choked and he had steel himself so he didn’t grab the gun and shoot the fucker himself. 

“Did you hear what he said about Polly?” she cried out in anguish, her tears streaking down her face. 

“I did, honey and he’ll pay for it,” he said softly. “Malachi was the man at the gate. He’s dead Betty. He won’t hurt anyone ever again.” It took a moment for that to sink in and she started to cry harder. 

“You killed him?” 

“Well, actually, Toni did,” Jughead informed her and Betty’s gaze flew to Toni who gave her a gentle smile. “He tried to take Cheryl down and she put a knife in his neck.” Betty nodded in satisfaction. 

“Thank you,” she whispered gratefully. 

“Anytime, girl,” Toni replied. Betty looked around and was startled to see Pop and FP there as well she gave them a wobbly smile of appreciation for their presense. Chic seemed to gather his wits about him and suddenly started to struggle against Sweet Pea’s boot and Betty turned to him, her face instantly twisted in anger and she stepped closer, the gun getting a little steadier.

“Betty, look at me,” Jughead said softly and she turned to him.

“I want to kill him,” she said hoarsely. 

“I know you do, baby and it’s completely your right to do it,” he agreed. 

“But you don’t want me to,” she whispered, grasping the gun with both hands to try and stop the shaking. 

“I don’t want you to have to carry this for the rest of your life,” he whispered back, his hand coming up to cup her face. “It’s like you told me a while back, killing a man will change you, you’ll have to carry that act with you for your entire life, think about it, maybe dream about it, it will never be gone and the fact that you killed someone will always hang over you.”

“I can live with that,” she insisted.

“But I don’t want you to,” he said gently. “I don’t want that weight on your kind and precious heart Betty. Let us, the Serpents, carry it for you.” His thumb gently smoothed along her jaw and her chin trembled as she watched the emotions play on his face. “Let me carry it for you,” he whispered. 

“I won’t shoot him,” Betty said tearfully. “But only because he doesn’t deserve a quick death.” Jughead nodded, stepped back and held out his hand and she carefully placed the gun in it.

“Get him up on the wall,” Jughead ordered, his eyes still holding Betty’s. He tucked the gun away and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly as they pulled a struggling Chic to his feet and proceeded to chain him to the wall, hands above his head. “You scared the shit out of me,” he whispered against her ear. “What the hell were you thinking?” He was trying not to sound angry but he didn’t think he succeeded.

“I didn’t want him to hurt you,” she whimpered, clutching him close and feeling all her fear melt away. 

“Baby, he wouldn’t have hurt me,” Jughead sighed, moving back and cupping her face. “Please don’t do that ever again.” He wiped her tears and kissed her face.

“I won’t,” she said quietly. She winced when he pressed a little too hard on her cheekbone and he noticed, his expression immediately turning furious.

“Mother fucker,” he fumed. “He did this?”

“Yes, but I got him back for it,” she informed him.

“Yeah, it looks like she kicked the hell out of him,” Pea said with a laugh once they had Chic chained. Jughead turned to look and noticed his bleeding face and that he favored his left leg. “That self-defence stuff paid off?”

“Yes, it did,” Betty answered, her gaze taking in the man against the wall. He didn’t look so scary anymore, more like a sniveling wimp who now looked terrified. “Why Chic, are you crying?” she asked with a laugh. “Isn’t that what you said you’d make Jughead do?”

“Fuck you, bitch,” he snarled and was rewarded with a punch to the stomach from Pea.

“He had an icepick,” Betty said slowly. “Where is it?” Everyone looked around and Cheryl found it by the door and picked it up and brought it to her.

“Where it really fucking hurts,” she said firmly and Betty nodded, gripping it in her hand. She turned and walked over to stand in front of Chic, Jughead standing directly behind her, close enough where she could feel the heat of his body and draw courage and strength from him. 

“What are you going to do?” Chic mocked her, trying to hide the fact that he was terrified. Trying to hide that fact that he had realized his time was up. “You’re useless, just like your sister was.” Betty gripped the pick harder and she felt Jughead’s hand brush up her back. 

“You know, I’ve had a lot of time to think over the last few months,” Betty began, holding his gaze. “A lot of time to plot what I’d do to you if I ever saw you again. I also took advantage of the Serpent’s vast library. They had some interesting books. Some of them were about torture, where it hurts the most to get stabbed, where to stab so you won’t die right away, how to castrate. That sort of thing.” She didn’t miss the tiny whimper Chic let out and she almost grinned in satisfaction but she couldn’t get her face to work, so she just stared at him until he started to tremble.

“You don’t have the guts,” he said in a last ditch effort. “You’re nothing but the whore of a snake.” Betty felt Jughead stiffen behind her and she reacted instantly, lifting her arm and with all her force, drove the icepick down into Chic’s shoulder right behind his collarbone. He cry of agony didn’t even phase her as she got in his face, her hand still wrapped around the handle.

“You can burn in hell,” she spat, giving the icepick a good twist and he writhed in pain, the tears on his face now and she stepped back in satisfaction, leaving the ice pick in his shoulder. She turned away from him, determined to not look at him ever again. The Serpents stood, silently watching her as she stepped closer to Jughead and he cupped her face, lowering his forehead to hers, trying to steady her. After a few moments she took a deep breath and stepped back. 

“You okay?” he asked softly. Betty said nothing and just straightened her shoulders and held his gaze.

“He’s never shown anybody any mercy,” she said, voice void of emotion. “Don’t show him any.” Jughead nodded his understanding and she turned and walked out of the cell and away from the man who would never terrify her again. Jughead turned to look at Pop.

“Get her out of here. We’ll be back in a couple hours.” Pop nodded but stepped up to Chic first and grasped the pick and pulled it from his shoulder and he shuddered in pain. 

“For my granddaughter, for Archie and for Betty,” he spoke harshly before he slammed the ice pick into Chic’s leg. He cried out again and Pop turned and left the cell as well.

Chic lifted his head, his body radiating with pain and he saw the Serpents surround him, Jughead Jones, formidable and furious front and center and he knew he was done. He began to plead and sob as the circle of snakes closed in.

 

Betty was sitting on the stairs that led to the main floor when Pop walked up. He didn’t say anything, just helped her up and led her out of the building and out on the street where cars and drivers were waiting. He helped her into one and sat beside her and motioned for the driver to head back to their building.

“You alright sweetheart?” he asked gently, taking her hand. Betty nodded, wiping at her face where the tears kept flowing. “What you did, you know it was foolish, right?”

“Yeah, I know,” she whispered.

“You scared 10 years off my grandson’s life. Poor boy about had a stroke.”

“Yeah, well, now we got him, right?”

“You think that’s all Jughead cares about? Getting Chic?” Pop asked in surprise. 

“No, that’s not what I’m saying,” she sighed. “I’m just saying my plan worked and he came with the Serpents instead of by himself.” Pop looked in disbelief.

“You did this knowing he’d come after you?”

“Yeah,” she whispered. “I mean, I hoped I could kill him, but if I couldn’t, I knew he would come for me and I knew he wouldn’t foolishly come alone like he’d planned.”

“Oh Betty,” Pop sighed sadly. “You could have gotten yourself killed! Do you realize how stupid this was?”

“Yeah, you said that,” Betty said slowly, her eyes on her lap. She could feel herself shaking and the reality of it all seemed to come crashing in on her. “They’ll finish it, right?” she asked in a whisper.

“You can count on it,” Pop assured her. “Chic won’t see the light of another day.”

“Okay…okay…” she managed to breathe out. “That’s….that’s good…” Betty covered her face with her hands and started to sob. 

“Oh sweet girl,” Pop breathed, pulling her close and hugging her tight. It was finally over. Chic couldn’t hurt her anymore. He couldn’t hurt Jughead anymore. He couldn’t hurt anyone anymore. She cried all the way back to their building and Pop had the driver take them right to the door, foregoing the tunnels. She managed to pull herself together and he helped her out and inside. “Well, with running the tunnels earlier, and all this fuss with your brother, I’m quite worn out,” Pop sighed once they got inside. “I think I’ll head upstairs and have a rest. Shall I walk you to your apartment?”

“I think I’m just going to go to the lounge and have a drink and relax a little and wait for Jughead,” Betty said with a quivering smile. Pop gave her a tight hug and went on his way and she headed to get herself a good shot of something strong.

A lady she knew as Mary was behind the bar and wiping things down when she got in there and Betty asked for some Brandy, figuring it would calm her nerves and warm her up because she suddenly felt very shaky and cold. Jughead had once told her that when adrenaline hits you after something big happens, it could cause all sorts of things, even the shakes and suddenly feeling like you’re freezing. She sipped on it slowly and was finally starting to feel more calm when she spotted Jellybean making her way over to where she was sitting and she let out a weary sigh, hoping the girl was civil.

“Hi Jellybean,” Betty said softly. “It’s nice to see you.”

“Well, you caused quite the rukus this morning with your running off and scaring the hell out of everyone,” the woman snapped.

“I’m sorry about that.”

“Yes, I know, of course you are,” JB scoffed and Betty sighed, standing up and preparing to leave. “I suppose it’s all over now,” she continued. “Your brother will be dead and all will be avenged and my brother won’t have need of you anymore.” Betty turned and raised an eyebrow.

“Excuse me?”

“Well, you know he took you as revenge for me, right. He was using you to get to Chic and now that he finally gets to kill him, it’s all done and you can go and start your new life now,” she explained and Betty looked at her in complete disbelief. Jellybean folded her arms across her chest as if she couldn’t believe how stupid Betty was. “Do you really think the Serpents are going to want you around as a constant reminder of what that pig did? Everytime someone looks at you they will remember how Archie died. Everytime Jughead looks at you, he will see nothing but how you brought death to the Serpents. How your brother caused them to now have killed people. You don’t belong here Betty and you never did.”

“Jughead loves me,” Betty said furiously. “He doesn’t blame me for anything my brother did.” Her fists clenched and she felt like screaming. After everything that had happened over the last few days, this girl was like a final knife in the back of all the bullshit.

“Maybe,” JB shrugged. “I don’t think he’d be the kind to actually tell you that if he didn’t, but everyone heard him the night Archie died, Betty. He doesn’t want to love you and eventually, it will be over. I know my brother and I know how much he loves me and how important I am to him and believe me, if I let him know how truly upsetting it is to have you around, he wouldn’t just toss my feelings aside.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” Betty fumed and turned to leave.

“He'll grow to resent you, you know and it's your fault that he now has blood on his hands. It's your fault and he'll say he forgives you for it - but it'll always be there and when it starts to consume him and haunt him, he'll remember why he doesn't love people and it will all end and everyone will always look at you and remember that it's your fault we have to leave,” JB called after her. 

Betty froze, her stomach clenching and her heart racing as she slowly turned around.

“What? What are you talking about? Who’s leaving?” she asked hoarsely. Jellybean looked a little surprised and then let out a laugh.

“He didn’t tell you?” she asked with a smirk. “If he loves you so much, why wouldn’t he tell you that the feds are forcing the Serpents to leave the country? We have to leave or we’re all going to prison.”

“I don’t believe you,” Betty said angrily.

“Mary, come out here,” Jellybean called out, a victorious smile on her face. The woman hurried out from the back kitchen and looked at her questioningly. “Has your husband told you that the Serpents have to leave the country?”

“Yes, he told me a couple of months ago,” the woman replied. Betty felt her churn in shock.

“And when do we have to leave?”

“I believe in three weeks we have to be gone,” Mary said slowly, looking confused.

“Thank you, I was just checking.” The woman shrugged and went back to the kitchen and Betty took a step back.

“Three weeks?” she whispered, tears springing to her eyes.

“Well, for someone who loves you so much, it doesn’t seem like he cares much about letting you know we have to leave the country. I mean, if he wanted you to go with, shouldn’t he have asked you by now? Do you even have a passport?” Jellybean taunted. Betty couldn’t seem to form words and she turned and ran from the lounge.

 

She got back to the apartment and burst into tears as soon as the door was closed. Everything Jellybean had said to her had all seemed like bitter lies until she told her that they were leaving the country. Jughead was leaving the country in three weeks and he hadn’t told her or asked her to join him. 

He was leaving her.

There wasn’t any other explaination. Three weeks. How could any of them move in three weeks and why would he not have told her? He didn’t want to love her, he had made that clear and although he had said that he did the previous night, Betty remembered how she had begged him to. Would he have said it otherwise? Sure he’d come after her this morning, but like Jellybean said, it ultimately led him to his goal, revenge on her brother.

No, Jughead loved her.

He did.

Then why had he once again kept things from her? He had told her just the night before that he wouldn’t keep things from her anymore and him leaving the country was about the biggest secret he had. Everything in Betty told her to wait and to ask him. To demand the truth, but the nagging voice in the back of her mind told her that Jellybean must be telling the truth. He loved his sister, he would always look out for her, no matter what. No matter who. And she was a constant reminder of Chic and Archie dying and now, they were all killers. 

Betty let out a sob and went to their bedroom, where they had spent the most amazing night and she looked at the still rumpled sheets and she started to cry. There was no way she was going to be able to take the pain of him telling her that he was leaving her. She steeled herself and went to the closet and grabbed one of Jughead’s leather bags and started to throw her things into it, which as of yet, still weren’t that much. It took her only 15 minutes to pack and then she went to the safe in Jughead’s office. A few weeks earlier he had given her the combination and shown her an envelope with her name on it that was full of money. He had told her it was hers, her share for the ruby heist and if she ever needed money and he wasn’t around, to take it. 

Betty grabbed the envelope and stuffed it in her bag and headed for the door. She didn’t want to be left behind, so she would leave before it could happen.

 

Jughead and his Serpents came back to the building two hours later and most everyone, including himself headed to the gym to shower and then to the lounge for a drink. They had left Chic to rot in the basement cell and headed home. Jughead took one quick shot of scotch headed upstairs to be with Betty and make sure she was alright. 

He entered the apartment and found it strangely quiet and he looked around in confusion, wondering what was different. In the bedroom he looked around and it took him a good five minutes before he realized what was wrong. Betty’s things were missing.

Why were Betty’s things missing?

He frowned and opened the closet and was shocked to find her side empty and in the bathroom, her toiletries were gone. Betty was gone. Betty was gone? Why was Betty gone? Jughead turned and raced from the apartment and headed upstairs to Pop’s. He barged in without knocking and about scared the life out of the old man.

“Where the hell is Betty?” he asked loudly. 

“What do you mean, where’s Betty?”

“She’s gone and her things are gone,” Jughead said, his voice once again laced with panic. They had just fixed everything, where the fuck was she?

“Jughead, we got back and I came up here and she told me that she was going to the lounge for a drink. That’s all I know,” Pop said hurriedly and quickly followed Jughead when he ran back out. When Jughead barged into the lounge with Pop at his heels, everyone looked at him in surprise. 

“What’s wrong now?” FP asked in surprise.

“Betty’s gone again,” Pop answered as Jughead checked every inch of the lounge. 

“What do you mean?” Cheryl asked.

“I swear to God, it’s like deja vu,” Fangs said with a disbelieving look on his face. 

“Her things are gone and she’s gone,” Jughead said, his voice sounding a little choked. “Who was in here when she came in for a drink? Does anybody know who was behind the bar?”

“No idea,” Toni said. “I came in and nobody was here.”

“What the fuck?” Jughead asked frantically.

“Security room,” Pea said and they all hurried there and Pea found it empty as well.

“Why the fuck is nobody at their posts,” Jughead snapped angrily. Pea sat down and started rewinding the tapes until he spotted Betty at the front door to the building. Jughead watched in shock as she paused and looked around, clutching her bag to her and then walked out the door and out of his life. He took a step back and leaned again the wall, feeling like his heart had just been ripped out.

“Why would she leave?” Cheryl whispered, her eyes filling with tears of disbelief. “There’s no way she would just leave.”

“Well, it looks like she did,” Pea said, angry on behalf of his friend who looked like he’d been kicked in the teeth. 

“There has to be a reason,” Toni insisted, shaking her head as she rewatched the video. “There has to be a reason Jug.”

“Yeah, Chic is dead, she’s not afraid anymore and she can move on with her life,” he said, sounding very much like he was being strangled.

“Horseshit!” Pop spat. “That girl is so in love with you and there is no way she would just up and leave; so don’t insult her by assuming she would just be done with you after Chic was dead.”

“It’s on the god damned video!” Jughead yelled, pointing to the screen. “Clearly she didn’t want to be here anymore,” he choked out, the pain in his eyes clear. “She didn’t want to be with me.” Pop stepped in front of him and grabbed his jacket in his fist and gave him a shake.

“I’ve never thought you were stupid boy, not once in your whole life but you are being fucking stupid right now. That girl did not leave because she doesn’t love you or because she doesn’t want to be with you. She had a reason and I don’t know why she didn’t wait to tell you, but there had to be a reason. Now you go find her and you bring her back!”

“How the fuck am I supposed to find her?” Jughead yelled. “She could be anywhere!” Pea switched to the street cameras and it showed Betty getting into an uber and there was no clear image of the licence plate. 

“Put it back to when she was at the door,” Cheryl said quietly. Pea switched the screen and Cheryl leaned in and froze the image. “Jug, the bag she’s carrying.”

“What about it?” he asked, leaning in to look.

“That’s your bag.”

“Yeah, so?”

“That’s the bag you use when you’re moving merchandise and you want to keep an eye on it,” she reminded him. Jughead looked at her blankly for a moment and then his eyes widened.

“The tracker!” he blurted out and Pea jumped up.

“I’m on it Jug,” he said quickly. “Take the Jag. There’s a tracking monitor in there, in the trunk. Turn it on and I’ll find her location on the system on my computer and send it to your device. We’ll find her.” He took off running to the computer room and Jughead looked at Cheryl. 

“What if she…”

“Jughead, Betty loves you. Trust me on that. Now go get her and bring her home.” She barely finished and he was running for the garage.

Jughead was pulling out on the street, his phone connected to the car so he could talk to Pea. He called his number and waited for him to answer.

“Where am I going?” he asked the second he picked up.

“The tracker is standing still on 73th street. I checked and there’s a hotel at that location. Once you get there, you’ll have to use the device to pinpoint the room. You’ll have to walk the halls a bit but you’ll be able to see what floor it’s on and it should lead you to her room if she’s there. I’ll send it to your device. Is it turned on?”

“Yeah, thanks Pea,” Jughead sighed.

“No problem. If you need more help, just call, I’ll be here.”

“I’ll let you know if the trackers in the hotel and then you can sign off,” Jughead told him.

“Got it.”

Jughead turned the car in the direction of 73rd and hit the gas.

 

Cheryl stood by the bar in the lounge and watched as Toni wiped it down. She was so worried about Betty and couldn’t seem to think of any reason why she would run. 

“Why do you think she would leave?” she asked Toni with a heavy sigh. “I just don’t understand.”

“I don’t know Cher,” Toni said sadly. “I figured it was all finished now and except for finding her sister, everything was squared away and I always figured that her and Jughead would be so incredibly happy.”

“They will be,” Cheryl said firmly. “There has to be a reason for this.” She took a sip of her drink and looked around the lounge and then paused and furrowed her brow. Jellybean had just walked in looking rather smug and Cheryl felt her gut clench. She watched her and the girl was looking entirely too pleased with herself and she briefly wondered if it could be simply because she knew that Chic was now dead. It was a victory for her, that the man who tried to kill her was gone. Then Jellybean looked over at her and she paused and there was no mistaking the look of gleeful triumph on her face.

“That conniving little bitch,” she gasped and Toni looked at her in confusion. Cheryl walked over to Jellybean who stared at her in defience and the furious red head just couldn’t help it.

She slapped Jellybean across the face.

“What the fuck did you do?” Cheryl yelled.

 

Jughead pulled up in front of the hotel on 73rd and saw that the tracker was indeed inside the building. He sent Pea a message and got out of the car and ran into the building. He paused for a moment, considering his options and then walked up to the desk.

“May I help you?” the lady asked with a smile.

“Yes,” Jughead said politely. “I was wondering if you could tell me if a Betty Cooper checked in?” 

“I’m not sure I’m allowed to give that information,” she said nervously. “I’m new here and I don’t want to get into trouble.” Jughead smiled his most charming smile and leaned in. 

“I promise, I’m just looking for someone I care about very much and I want to make sure she’s okay. I’d really love it if you could help me out,” he said softly. He pulled out his wallet and slid a hundred dollar bill towards her. “Please.”

“Alright,” she sighed and checked and then shook her head.

“No, I’m sorry,” she said. Jughead frowned, knowing the tracker was in the building and he was about to go walk the halls when he paused.

“What about Adison James or Emily Foster?”

“Let me see…” the woman checked again. “Nobody by that name either, but I do remember a blonde woman from a couple hours ago, she said her name was Adison Foster. Could that be her?”

“Yes,” Jughead sighed with relief, thinking that Betty was very smart. He had always told her, never use your real name and she had been extra careful and combined her two aliases. “Can you tell me what room she’s in?”

“605,” the woman answered. “And I’m only telling you because you seem nice and you said you cared about her and she was really upset when she checked in. She was crying and could barely hold her bag, her hands were shaking so bad. She also looked angry and I couldn’t figure out if she was sad or mad or what.”

“Thank you,” Jughead said, handing her more cash and he headed to the elevator.

 

Betty lay curled on the bed in the hotel room, having finally stopped crying a while ago, now she just felt numb and of course, she missed Jughead. She sat up and since she’d had time to calm a little, she wondered if she’d made a mistake. Maybe she should have waited for Jughead and asked him about the move. What if it had been a lie? No, it hadn’t been because Mary would have had no reason to lie about that. He hadn’t told her and the only reason she could think of was that he didn’t want her to go with.

They were leaving the country. _Leaving the country._ And he simply hadn’t told her. She got up and paced a little, wondering if she should go back and demand answers. She really had no plan and had no idea what she was going to do beyond this point. She hadn’t been part of society in years and she didn’t know where to go from here. She had nobody to help her. A sudden knock at the door made her jump and she stared at in surprise before remembering she had ordered herself some drinks. Jughead had holed up in a hotel and drank for a couple days and she had decided to maybe try it out. She opened the door and froze in shock. 

Jughead had found her.

And he looked frantic.

Frantic and furious.

“You want to explain to me where the hell you’re going?” he growled.


	26. Coming Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to just give a shout out to jandjsalmon and cheryllclayton for always being a sounding board when I need to throw ideas around....
> 
> Warning: mention of rape, mention of killing someone

“Jug?” Betty gasped in surprise. “What…what are you…how did you find me?” she asked in her momentary confusion. He almost walked over her as he pushed into the room and she scrambled back as he slammed the door behind him. He stood, his hands on his hips and God, he looked furious and she clasped her hands nervously.

“Where are you going?” he asked calmly – too calmly.

“I’m not sure,” she whispered, lowering her eyes, her hands trembling. 

“You don’t know?” he asked in confusion. “Then why are you here?”

“I hadn’t decided yet where I wanted to go,” Betty said quietly. Jughead went still and his arms went limp, his hands dropping from his hips. “How the hell did you find me anyway?” she asked.

“The bag you took has a tracker,” he answered and she looked at it in surprise and rolled her eyes.

“Of course it does.”

“And if it didn’t, I’d have never found you,” he said slowly. “And you didn’t want to be found, did you? You meant to leave?” he asked. “You left me?” He sounded hoarse and she felt her heart ache when his face clouded with disbelief and hurt. “Why?”

“Jughead, I just…”

“You told me this morning that you weren’t going to do this again!” he fumed, his hurt moving quickly back to anger again. 

“Well, to be fair, I thought you meant not to put myself in danger,” she muttered and quickly realized it was the wrong thing to say because his scowl about knocked her socks off.

“So what, you were planning on leaving this whole time? Chic’s dead so now you don’t need us anymore? You don’t need me?” Jughead asked and she could hear the pain laced in with the anger.

“No, Jug, that’s not why….I wasn’t using you to get to Chic for God’s sake, you’re the one who took me, not the other way around.”

“I don’t understand Betty,” he said, his voice suddenly vulnerable. “Why did you leave?”

“I didn’t want to be a constant reminder of what happened with my brother,” she whispered, her chin trembling and her eyes filling with tears. “I didn’t want anyone to resent me.”

“What the hell are you talking about,” he went back to yelling. “Nobody resents you!” There was a sudden knock at the door and he glared at it and she sighed and hurried over, opening it to find her room service order. She quickly tipped the man and grabbed the glass and bottle of brandy and closed the door. Jughead raised an eyebrow as she opened the bottle and took a drink before setting it on the table and facing him again and continued as if they hadn’t been interrupted.

“But they will, Jug. You will. Archie is dead because of Chic. You all now have blood on your hands because of Chic. I will be a constant reminder of how he turned your lives upside down and I couldn’t bear the thought of anyone hating me,” she let out with a soft sob. “Of you hating me.”

“Jesus Christ, Betty,” Jughead breathed. “Don’t you know yet how much I love you?”

“But you don’t want to,” she said sadly, a tear slipping from her eye. “You might love me now, Jug, but you don’t want to and one day you’re going to resent me and you’ll remember that love isn’t what you wanted and it will be over.” Jughead ran a hand over his face and let out a sigh.

“God, Betty….” He breathed. “Look, I know I said some things the night Archie died that sounded bad but my head was so fucked up, I barely even remember it. I was devastated and when I looked at you and you were so angry with me because I hadn’t told you the truth, all that was going through my head was that my best friend had left me and you were probably going to leave me too and it scared the hell out of me. It hurt like hell - like the kind of pain that I’ve never felt before for any reason and I just wanted it all to go away. I said I didn’t want anything to do with love because I was so fucking afraid of...of losing…” his voice broke a little and he took a steadying breath. “Of losing you, I just lashed out. I didn’t mean it, Betty and now here we are, the reason I was so terrified is actually happening. You left me!”

“I needed to,” she said, trying to keep the tremor from her voice. The longer he stood in front of her, the more she wanted to throw herself into his arms. It hurt being near him and she couldn’t seem to find the courage to confront him about why he hadn’t told her he was leaving. She was utterly terrified of his answer even though logic told her that if he planned on leaving her behind, he wouldn’t have come after her, he wouldn't be telling her that he loved her. He stepped closer and rested his hands on her shoulders and she shook her head and stepped back. “Please don’t,” she whispered.

“Betty,” Jughead pleaded. “Why? What’s happened that made you do this? I don’t understand,” he said, torn. “Do you need me to reassure you how much I love you, because I can do that all day and all night if you want. I know I said I didn’t want love and I know I’ve said that I’ve avoided it like the plague but I’ve realized since you came into my life that I wasn’t avoiding love, I just simply hadn’t found it. I hadn’t felt it and I didn’t know what I was missing.” He cupped her face and his thumb brushed at the tears that ran down her cheek. “Then you walked into my life and everything changed. Everything. I was in trouble from day one when you stood there with your big green eyes, pretty much the only thing on your entire body that didn’t look like it was dying and something inside me just shifted and yes, I resisted for a while but I was like a moth to a flame. I fell in love with you before I even knew it was love. You’ve become like air to me Betty and I can’t breathe without you,” he whispered, his voice pleading with her to believe him.

“Then why are you leaving me?” she let out in a sob. Jughead furrowed his brow in confusion and gave his head a shake.

“What are you talking about?” he asked. “Why would you think I’m leaving you?”

“Did you make a deal with the feds to leave the country in three weeks?” she asked in a quivering voice. Jughead’s eyes widened and he suddenly understood.

“Oh shit,” he breathed, letting out a long sigh. Betty felt her anger rise inside her and she stepped away from him and clenched her fists.

“You said you wouldn’t keep things from me anymore!” she yelled. “How could you not tell me something like this?”

“Wait, no Betty…” he scrambled, suddenly once again in panic and he reached for her and she shook her head and stepped back.

“You’re leaving the country?” she asked again.

“Yes, but..”

“But? But what?” 

“Betty, I swear to God, I didn’t keep it from you on purpose,” Jughead exclaimed. “I honestly haven’t thought about it in a few of weeks. We were so busy with the heist and then the ambush happened and Archie died and it just….I didn’t think about it. Even if it came up, it didn’t even occur to me that you didn’t know. I promise I wasn’t planning on leaving you behind!” he insisted.

“Is it my fault you have to leave?” Betty asked, her anger once again fading to vulnerability. 

“Why the hell would it be your fault?” Jughead asked in confusion. “The feds offered us the deal before I even knew you were alive. We figured Chic had sold you and you were God only knows where and while we did agree to the deal right after we rescued you, it had nothing whatsoever to do with you. We were going to do it regardless,” Jughead explained. He still looked utterly confused. “How would you even come to that conclusion that it was your fault and how the hell did you even know any of this?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Betty said, shaking her head, her mind still buzzing over all he had said.

“No, it does matter. It made you run, for fuck’s sake. Who told you?”

“Jug…”

“Tell me,” he ordered.

“Jellybean,” Betty whispered.

“Fucking hell,” he snapped. “I should have known. I suppose she put all the other shit in your head too about us resenting you and me not wanting to love you and leaving you behind.”

“I came up with some of that on my own,” she sighed.

“I don’t think so,” he fumed. “I’m done with her bullshit and I want to know everything she said,” he demanded. “What I don’t understand is why you would let her get to you like that and not talk to me first. After everything she’s done, you allowed her to chase you off? Why didn’t you talk to me?!” Jughead yelled. Betty stared at him, taking in his furious eyes, his body tense and wound up and she wondered if it was wrong to suddenly be aroused. My God, he was like a thunderstorm that was both terrifying and beautiful at the same time and a person just couldn’t help but want to be right in the center of the swirling fury. She gave herself a shake and tried to remember what she should be focusing on and his hotness wasn’t it at the moment.

“I was scared she was right,” Betty whispered shakily, feeling ashamed of herself. “And the fact that you were leaving was kind of a big deal and I couldn’t understand why you wouldn’t tell me and I just….” She sighed before continuing. “I guess I was so overwhelmed by all that had happened and then that was dumped on me and I panicked.”

“I’m seriously going to kick her ass.”

“Jughead, it’s fine…I just…”

“No,” he insisted. “She has gone too far and she will not get away with this. She made you leave me!” he yelled.

“No, I decided to do that all on my own,” Betty sighed. 

“Well, she sure as fuck helped, now didn’t she.” Jughead was so furious, she suddenly grew a little concerned for Jellybean. “Stop it,” he snapped, already knowing what she was thinking. “She doesn’t deserve any concern from you. She’s done nothing but tear you down since she came home and now she made you run from your family, from me! I want to know everything she said, and I mean all of it.” He demanded. Betty sighed and told him the conversation she’d had with his sister and by the time she was done he was in a rage. “Jesus Christ,” he choked out. “How could she do something like that?”

“So, you weren’t going to leave me?” Betty asked, just to be sure, her eyes once again filled with tears and this time, hope. Jughead’s face softened and the anger was put aside as he once again cupped her face and brushed her lips with his before resting his forehead to hers.

“I couldn’t leave you even if I tried,” he said hoarsely. “I love you Betty. I love you so much, it hurts. Yes, it’s scary and I’m terrified but I can’t live without you, not anymore. In fact, I wasn’t living before you; I was just existing. You have completely changed my life and I would never ever leave you behind. I just figured we were in this together. That you were always going to be with me,” Jughead explained.

“So you’re just assuming I’ll leave the country with you?” she asked with a raised brow and he didn’t realize she was teasing.

“Well, yeah….” He said slowly, sounding vulnerable again. “Betty, you’re my light.” Jughead took her hand and pressed it over his heart, letting her feeling how fast it was beating. “You’re my heart. This - it beats for you and it always will.” Betty bit her lip, her tears rolling down her cheeks as she saw the truth shining in his eyes. The vulnerability, the baring of his soul, the complete love. “Please come home with me,” he pleaded softly.

“I haven’t had a home in so long,” she managed to get out around a hiccup. He let out a shaky breath and lowered his forehead to hers.

“You have one - with me. Let me be your home, Betty,” he whispered. Betty started to cry harder and threw her arms around him and he held her so tight. “Please baby,” he almost whimpered into her hair. “Please don’t ever leave me again.”

“I won’t,” she cried into his neck. “I’m so sorry, Jug. I’m so sorry that I didn’t wait to talk to you. I’m sorry I didn’t trust how much you loved me. Please forgive me,” she begged. “I won’t leave ever again, I promise.”

“Okay,” he sighed in relief. He kissed the tears off her cheeks. “Okay, don’t cry hon. This isn’t your fault.”

“Jug, nobody forced me to walk out the door. That was my decision.”

“Yes, well my sister manipulated you and hit you where it hurt when you were at your most vulnerable and overwhelmed and she knew it and I don’t know if I’ll ever forgive her,” Jughead said quietly. “I almost lost you because of her and that’s not something I’m just going to forget.” Betty shuddered again him as she realized what had almost happened. 

“Right before you showed up I was thinking that maybe I should come back and demand answers but I was too scared. We almost lost each other because of my fear.” Betty paused to try and calm herself, the realization of what she’d done like a punch to the stomach. “I ran out on you twice today and I feel like an idiot,” she cried. “I saw how upset and frantic you were when you found me with Chic, how could I do that to you again?"

“Well, I ran out on you a few days ago and didn’t come back for 4 days,” he offered.

“You went to mourn Jughead, you didn’t foolishly go after a killer and then run away because you were afraid.”

“Stop,” he sighed, easing back and wiping her face. “We’re here now, together - I’m not letting you go again.”

“I love you,” Betty said softly. “I hope you know that. I love you so much and you do feel like home to me. You are home to me. The thought that you might not want to love me, that you might stop loving me - I was so terrified that you’d tell me that yes, you were leaving me behind and I just couldn’t handle my own foolish thoughts. The only time I feel safe and whole _is_ when I’m with you and I’m so sorry I doubted you.”

“I’m sorry I said what I said when Archie died and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about leaving,” he countered. Betty hugged him tight, her head resting against his chest as she listened to the beating of his heart. It had slowed down some, steady and strong.

“We do this a lot,” she whispered with a sigh. Jughead’s hands came up and he cupped her face again, leaning her back so he could look at her.

“We need to make a deal right now,” he said firmly. “No matter what happens, what we hear, what we _assume_ , how angry we are; from now on, we talk to each other first. No more running, no more fear of what we might hear, we come to each other before we let our minds run away with us. Deal?”

“Deal,” she said with a smile. His face was calm and relaxed now, all the panic gone and she touched her fingers to his lips and he kissed the tips gently. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“Don’t,” he said softly. “I’m just so thankful that you weren’t leaving because you didn’t actually love me or that you didn’t want to be with me because that would have killed me.”

“How could anybody ever not love you,” she wondered and he shrugged and smiled.

“There’s been a few.”

“Idiots, all of them,” Betty insisted. She let out a shaky breath and rested her forehead against his chest. “What an awful day,” she sighed. 

“It’s all over now and you know what?” She lifted her head and looked at him and the look in his eyes warmed her heart. “Our new life together begins right now. Chic is no longer an issue. There is no more worry about him and that part of our life is over. Yes, the next few weeks will be a little hectic as we rearrange our lives, but we’re doing it together with no concerns about someone coming after us. You’re my partner Betty and I am looking forward to spending my life with you,” Jughead said seriously.

“That sounds wonderful,” she breathed.

“Do you want to know how much I love you? How, since the day I told you I loved you, you were in my heart for good? How I just assumed we’d be spending our lives together?”

“Tell me,” Betty urged. 

“How about I show you?” he smiled. “When I came home yesterday after the funeral, which strangely now seems like a lifetime ago, you saw the tattoo I got for Archie. Well, I told you I'd got a couple of them and you didn’t notice the other one I had and yes, I had planned on waiting until after I was done with Chic to really show you because I wanted it to be a symbol of a new day, a start to the rest of our lives…” he trailed off and held up his hand and her eyes widened when she saw her named tattooed down the length of his ring finger. 

“Jug,” she gasped.

“Do you know why I had it done down the length of my finger and not around where some people do it instead of a ring?”

“No..”

“Well, for one, we’re not married,” he chuckled. “And I don’t even know what our feelings are on that, but I made sure it ran the length of my finger because nothing will ever go on this finger that doesn’t belong to you. I am committed to you and you alone and since the world has deemed this finger the place on the body that shows commitment, I commit the entire fucking thing to you. Forever.” Betty started to laugh and cry at the same time.

“That’s not a thing, committing the finger to someone.”

“It’ll be our thing,” he grinned. Betty was taken aback as she looked at his face. It had been so many days since his entire face relaxed and grinning and it made her heart race.

“You’re a dork,” she laughed. “And I like having a new thing,” she said breathlessly. “I was kind of tired of Chic being our thing.”

“That wasn’t a thing, that was a fucking nightmare that we finally woke up from,” Jughead sighed, hugging her close. Betty let herself melt against his frame and she breathed him in. He was warm and strong and she was back in his arms; a place she never intended to leave again. “From here on out we are solid, we are strong, we are together, yes?” he asked softly.

“Yes,” she agreed immediately. “With my whole heart, yes.” She lifted her head and he looked down at her, the tender look in his eyes making her heart smile.

“I love you,” he whispered. “And I _want_ to love you and I’ll never stop loving you and I’m terrified and elated at the same time and if something were to ever happen, I wouldn’t regret any of it and I would live out my lonely days with memories of your beautiful face.” Betty knew she was crying again and she closed her eyes.

“You know, for someone who swore off love, you sure as hell know how to say the most romantic shit.” She felt his laugh in every part of her body. Soft, sensual, arousing. “Jug?”

“Hmmmm?”

“Can we stop talking now?” she asked shakily.

“Why?”

“Well, I would love it if you’d kiss me because I really miss your mouth and just thinking about how I almost fucked it up and would have never gotten to kiss you ev….” His kiss stopped her mid sentence as his hands came up to hold her face and she whimpered in relief, kissing him back eagerly, her hands framing his face as well. “You taste good,” she gasped when he pulled back for breath. He groaned as she dove in for more, her tongue swiping across his bottom lip.

Betty felt suddenly desperate and frantic for him, the image of her life without him coming to mind and she pressed as close as she could, like she was trying to crawl under his skin. She moaned when his hands dropped and settled on her backside, lifting her against him so she could feel his body respond to her. Then they were moving and stumbled their way over to the bed, lost in desperate kisses and fumbling hands that tried to get rid of clothing. All she managed to get off of him before they fell on the bed was his jacket and then she was wrapped around him, her hands gripping his hair, their kiss hungry and wet.

Betty didn’t know what to do with her hands. First she held his face, then she was tugging on his shirt, then she was sliding them under his shirt. She wanted him with such a heavy need, she felt like crying in her desperation. He was the love of her life and she had almost lost him. Jughead groaned as he pressed against her, his tongue sliding into her mouth to stroke against hers. His hands moved down her arms and he grasped hers and pulled them up, holding them gently above her head and he pulled back, looking down at her with dark eyes.

“Slow down, hon,” he breathed, pressing soft kisses along her jaw and she arched against him, the heavy feel of his body over hers arousing and comforting. “Let me love you slowly.”

“I want you,” she whimpered, rubbing her core against the hard line of his arousal. 

“I know,” he gasped against her neck at her movements. “I want you too but I want to go slowly. I want to make sure you never forget how amazing we are together. Slowly baby, slowly.”

“Okay,” she moaned when he moved his hand to run it along her side, brushing against her breast. “I love you, Jug,” Betty whispered as his mouth moved along her neck, his fingers slowly undoing the buttons of her shirt.

“I love _you_ Betty,” he returned, his lips brushing her skin as he kissed the smoothness he exposed. Everywhere his mouth touched left little patches of warmth that soon had her trembling. Betty dug her nails into his shoulders, moving restlessly beneath him. 

Jughead finished unbuttoning her shirt and slowly part it, pausing to look at her like he was seeing her for the first time. And if she was going to be honest, it was the first time they would be together without fearing for their lives, for their future. The first time they would be together with nothing but love between them. He lifted up, his knees framing her body as he knelt over her and pulled his shirt over his head and she promptly lost her breath. Betty didn’t think she would ever get used to how he looked. His hard, lean torso with the muscle defined just enough to be incredibly sexy and not obnoxious, his tattoos that colored his olive skin, his sinewy arms that always felt so strong when he wrapped them around her. 

“You’re so handsome,” she breathed, her hands coming up and moving slowly over his skin. He smiled down at her and she sat up, pressing kisses on his chest and he let out a breath when she licked over his abs. Betty wiggled her legs out from between his and knelt with him, smoothing her hands up his arms and over his shoulders, letting them slide into his hair, bringing his mouth back to hers and he kissed her slowly, thoroughly. His hands slid around her back and he unhooked her bra, slowly pulling the straps down and letting it fall between them and when Betty pressed her chest against his, he groaned into her mouth.

“You feel like satin,” he murmured against her mouth, his hands smoothing over her skin as they came around and up to gently cup her breasts. “So beautiful…” Betty whimpered when his thumbs brushed over her nipples, causing them to pucker and he smiled as he kissed her, palming and squeezing while she arched into his hands.

“I want more,” she begged, the slow pace he was setting driving her crazy. Jughead cupped her face and slowly lowered her back to the bed, his mouth moving down her neck, his tongue licking over her pulse before sucking lightly on it and his chest brushing against hers was making her crazy. His hand moved back to her breast, his thumb circling her nipple again and it hardened to almost painful and she arched into his hand, desperate for more. “Please,” she gasped, seeking some kind of relief and he ducked his head, his tongue raking over the peak as she moaned, her hand sliding into his hair, holding him to her. His mouth closed over her, sucking gently; his tongue flicking and she pressed eagerly into him as he continued until she thought she was going to lose her mind. 

Jughead’s hand moved down over her stomach and he slowly undid the button of her pants, pulling down the zipper as he worshipped her breasts and she writhed under his mouth. He released her nipple with a pop and groan as he looked at the glistening peak and took it in his mouth again for another taste. He tugged on her pants, seeming unable to keep his attention away from her chest and he pulled and struggled until she reached down and helped him rid her body of them, leaving her clad in only a pair of white lace panties. He lifted his head again and let his eyes roam over her body. 

“You are so fucking perfect,” he whispered, his hand smoothing down her leg and back up as he shifted and settled next to her. She was all smooth, pale and beautiful next to him and she aroused him to painful, making his jeans extremely uncomfortable but he was determined to go slow, to worship her, to drive her crazy. He trailed his finger across the top of her lace panties, and watched her face flush, her breathing coming in pants. Jughead slipped his fingers under the lace, teasing her skin just above her core, already feeling the heat wash over him. She whimpered and lifted her hips, trying to get him to go lower and he obliged her, sliding down into her folds and her moan made him twitch in his pants. 

“Jug,” she whimpered, her nails digging into his arm. He shifted to hover over her, pulling his fingers away and she groaned in protest and he smiled against her neck, moving lightly against her, the rough material of his jeans against the skin of her legs making her shiver.

“I’m going to touch you everywhere,” he breathed in her ear. “I’m going to make sure you never forget my touch, my hands, my mouth…” His lips followed his fingers down her body, doing exactly as he’d said, touching her and kissing her everywhere. When his tongue dipped into her bellybutton and his fingers played with the waist band of her panties she was clutching his hair in a desperate attempt to hurry him up and go lower. His soft laughter made her ache and the need inside her was flaming already. 

Jughead’s mouth moved over her hip and his fingers gently pulled on her panties, his tongue following them down her legs until he reached her ankle where he pressed soft kisses in the sensitive hollow. He tossed them aside and kissed his way up the other leg as his hands smoothed up the inside, slowly parting her thighs. He kissed the inside of each thigh before running his tongue along the crease of her leg, latching on and sucking a bruise into her and she gasped, lifting to him, trying to shift to get his mouth where she really wanted it. Jughead gave her what she wanted and raked his tongue over her, groaning at the silky heat he found. 

“Mine!” he growled against her, his hands pushing her thighs apart, giving him full access. 

“Yes,” she gasped, when his teeth tugged on the edge of the lip and she bucked against him as he slid a finger inside her, his tongue swirling around her swollen clit and then he added another, moving them slowly, teasingly, curling up and hitting spots that made her head spin. His tongue stroked repeatedly against her clit, and Betty moaned and writhed beneath his mouth, her fingers clenched in his hair and when he latched on and sucked she splintered apart as waves of pleasure washed over her, her cry echoing around the room.

Jughead groaned as her release covered his tongue and her body clenched on his fingers. His body was aching and longing for release and he fumbled with his button and zipper so he could reach in and wrap his hand around himself to take the edge off. Betty shook and gasped and he kept going, her taste and shudders driving him almost to orgasm. He let go of his cock before he spilled into his own hand and slowly started again.

“Fuck,” she gasped as he licked between her thighs. 

“So good,” he murmured against her core, his tongue flicking relentlessly over her clit and she gasped for breath, lifting to him, opening herself wider and holding his head to her. He moved his tongue down and pushed it inside her and used his thumb to stroke her as he slowly, teasingly fucked her with his tongue. 

“Oh my god,” she moaned as everything disappeared but him and the pleasure he gave her. He groaned against her, his tongue pressing deep and her eyes rolled back in her head as he moved back to her clit and sucked her into his mouth as his fingers parted her, his tongue swirling around her as he feasted. His hands moved back to her thighs, pressing them wide and the delicious stretch paired with his mouth sucking at her made her entire body tense as her release began again. “Oh fuck,” Betty gasped, feeling herself go numb. “I’m coming again,” she moaned, holding his mouth to her and when he slid two fingers inside her, his mouth latching eagerly, her eyes rolled back and she bowed off the bed, her body clenching tightly around his fingers as her orgasm rushed through her in waves. All she registered was his groan as she released into his mouth and then there was nothing but flying through stars as she shook in ecstasy. 

Jughead gently ran his tongue through her folds as she rode it out and when she started to come down, he placed a soft kiss on her swollen, tender flesh before slowly moving up her body. His hands pushed his jeans and boxers the rest of the way off, kicking them aside as his tongue licked up the beads of sweat he found, raking through the sheen between her breasts. He kissed her neck, her cheek, her lips and looked into her eyes, seeing the sated, ravished look in them and he settled gently between her legs, bracing his weight on his elbows, once again brushing his lips over hers. He gave her a few moments to collect herself and moved gently against her, rubbing his arousal over her wet folds, slowly, back and forth.

Betty couldn’t form a thought but her brain was very aware of his body over hers, his length rubbing against her, his mouth tasting hers, kissing slowly, deeply, overwhelming all her senses. He was warm and strong and her hands moved over him, feeling the tense coiled muscle beneath her fingers. Slowly her body regained strength and she started to move with him, her folds once again silky and wet. She needed a minute or two and she gently shoved against his chest and he moved, letting her guide him to his back, smiling when she ran her hands over him, wrapping her fingers around his pulsing erection and he moved into her hand and groaned when she squeezed. She started to kiss her way down his body and he gripped her arms.

“Baby, I won’t last,” he said quickly, his breathing harsh. 

“I won’t complain,” she whispered as she ran her tongue over his abdomen. His muscles quivered and contracted beneath her mouth and he groaned when her lips touched him. He was hard as steel and warm, smooth and she needed him. Her tongue touched the tiny drop of moisture on the tip and she felt him shudder before she slowly ran her tongue over him.

“Shit,” he muttered, desperately trying to stay still. “Fuck, Betty,” he groaned as her mouth slowly wrapped around him, taking him inside. Her hands came up and moved over his torso, memorizing the lines and planes as her mouth moved over him, slowly, teasingly, her tongue wrapping around him, sucking him deep. He let her continue for a few minutes, her head moving up and down, her hand moving with her mouth, her tongue licking over him and then he grabbed her head gently, stilling her movements. 

“Stop, stop,” he gasped, pulling her away. It felt so fucking good and he wanted to fuck her mouth until he exploded but he didn’t want it to end that way today. She whimpered in protest, her eyes finding his, simmering with desire and need. “I want to be inside you,” he told her. He pulled her up and kissed her hungrily. “Let me come inside you,” he pleaded, his voice hoarse. She nodded and he rolled her over, settling between her legs, his hard length probing at her, sliding through her silky wet folds, teasing her.

“Jug,” she moaned, arching against him

“What?” he breathed against her mouth. “Tell me what you want.”

“I want you inside me,” she whimpered. “Please.” Jughead held her face and locked his eyes with hers and slowly sank into her, shuddering as her walls gripped him. When he was completely buried, he paused, lowering his head and breathing heavy into her neck and trying to control himself, wanting to slam into her again and again until they couldn’t breathe. He lifted once again to look at her and saw her eyes shimmering with tears.

“You and me,” he whispered.

“Always,” she assured him.

“Promise me,” he demanded gently, bucking against her and causing her eyes to flutter shut for a moment. She opened them again and held his gaze.

“I promise,” Betty said softly, her hands coming to cup his face. 

“Promise me that you love me,” he said, his voice shaky and vulnerable and Betty felt a tear slip from her eye and her heart twisted that he needed her reassurance.

“I love you so much, Jughead,” she cried. “I promise with my whole heart.”

“I love you too,” he whispered against her mouth as he started to move. “I promise with my whole heart as well.” She remembered how he had whispered it against her skin the night before and now she realized how much he had meant it. She hadn’t needed to beg him to say it, he loved her and he meant it and her heart soared, free of worry and pain, wrapped in his promise. He held her face gently, his blue eyes stark with need and passion as they burned into hers, his hips moving slowly, his arousal dragging against her walls. She kept her eyes on his, gasping at the heat racing through her, her legs lifting and knees coming back and he sank even deeper, a low groan escaping his mouth. 

Jughead started to move faster as he stared down into her eyes. He saw the need and love and he was mindless now of anything but her and bringing her release, of finding his own. Her legs came around him and she dug her nails in and he saw her eyes fill with tears. He felt her start to shake, losing control and she arched wildly into him. He took her mouth in a searing kiss, his hand moving down between their bodies to stroke her as he felt his control slipping and she moaned into his mouth.

“Come for me Betty,” he groaned against her mouth. “I want to feel you come…please, now,” He pleaded with her, never having wanted something so bad in his life. She cried out as her body tensed and tightened, clenching hard on him. Jughead stilled and let his head drop, his face buried against her neck. “Fuck,” he gasped. “That feels so fucking good.” Betty dug her nails into his back, her whole body shaking with pleasure as he pressed deep, feeling her orgasm all around him. Feeling how he made her fall apart. When she calmed and all he felt were little flutters, he lifted his head, his eyes dark with need and he slowly pulled back and sank in again.

“Again,” he whispered.

“I don’t know if I…” she whimpered.

“Again, please,” he pleaded, moving achingly slow and she closed her eyes and let her body move, rising and falling with his.

“Come with me,” she breathed, wrapping her legs around him and pulling him closer. Jughead moved harder and deeper, his lips and tongue all over the skin he could reach. He dipped his head and licked over her nipple before pulling it into his mouth and she arched up against him, her nails raking down his back and he released her with a pop, his hand moving down between them again.

“Fuck me, I can’t hold it,” he groaned. “Come baby, please, let me feel it.” Jughead felt her clench just as his orgasm burned through his lower abdomen and he was powerless to stop it as it rushed through his veins, and he growled against her neck, releasing in a rush, as he pulsed and throbbed deep inside her. Betty knew her nails were digging deep into his skin but she couldn’t seem to help it as another mind numbing orgasm rolled over her and she was barely aware as he spilled, warm and wet inside her.

Jughead fell against her, his entire body throbbing and numb at the same time, unable to hold himself up and he hoped he wasn’t crushing her. Somewhere through his fog he realized she was crying against his neck and he took a few deep breaths, trying to steady himself and gather strength for a couple minutes and then tried to roll off her but when he moved, she tightened her grip on him and wouldn’t let him.

“Don’t,” she whispered tearfully. “Stay right here.”

“I’m too heavy,” he said softly, lifting his head and smiling gently at her, his fingers wiping the tears on her face. She shook her head and held him tighter and he lay against her as they both settled and their bodies stopped trembling with little aftershocks of pleasure. “I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you too,” Betty said, her chin trembling. He slowly pulled away and she let out a tiny moan as he slid out, shifting to lay at her side. She felt like an emotional wreck and he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, smoothing the damp hair off her face. “That was really amazing,” she murmured, her finger tips tracing his brow. 

“You’re really amazing,” he countered with a smile and she took a moment to study his face, realizing it was the most relaxed and calm that she’d ever seen him. The danger was gone now, there was nothing looming over him anymore and he looked even more handsome than ever before. She leaned in and kissed him and he didn’t let her pull away, his mouth moving slow and lazy on hers. Betty couldn’t help the shiver that went through her as his hand moved slowly up her leg and settled on her backside, squeezing gently. “Everything about you is amazing,” he added when he pulled back and she let out a slow sigh.

“After today, I feel more like an idiot,” she retorted.

“Please stop,” he sighed. “You’ve had a really fucking terrible day, Betty. I think a momentary lapse in sanity can be overlooked.” She raised an eyebrow and he smiled, his eyes teasing. 

“I left you,” she whispered, feeling once again horrified with herself. 

“And I found you,” he said softly, holding her tighter. 

“Please forgive me, Jug.”

“I already did, love. I already did. We started over, remember?”

“I remember,” Betty nodded, snuggling close. They lay quietly for a while, listening to the sounds of the city outside the window and she finally dared to ask the question. “He’s really dead?” she whispered.

“Extremely dead,” Jughead assured her.

“Where is he?”

“I’m assuming still hanging on the wall,” Jughead said with a shrug. “The thought of him rotting there is actually comforting.” She nodded in agreement and pulled her head back to look at him.

“Are you the one who ended him?” she asked quietly.

“Well, we all got a turn,” he explained. “And had we left him still alive at the end of it, he wouldn’t have lasted an hour, but yes, I put a bullet between his eyes,” he said matter of factly. 

“I’m sorry you had to do that,” Betty whimpered, her eyes filling with tears. He hadn’t wanted her to carry the burden of killing someone and now he was the one with the weight of it and he knew what she was thinking.

“I can handle it,” he said softly. She hugged him close and let his body warm her for a while and then she spoke again.

“Jug?”

“Hmmm?” he murmured lazily, his hands stroking idly up and down her back.

“Why does your sister hate me so much? Is it really only because Chic is my brother?” she asked sadly. Jughead went still and she shifted back to look at him. “What?”

“Ummm, about that,” he said slowly. “While we were _killing_ him, he said some things in his desperate attempt to save his own life and after a while he was a little delirious and was just talking about anything and everything and one of the things he mentioned was….” Jughead trailed off like he didn’t know how to finish.

“What?” she urged, feeling a little apprehensive.

“He said that he wasn’t your brother.” 

He couldn’t have shocked her more if he'd tried. Betty scrambled up and sat on her heels, clutching the sheet to her chest.

“What did you say?” she asked hoarsely. Jughead lifted up and sat back against the headboard and let out a sigh. 

“He told us that he knew your brother and when they had gotten into a fight, he killed him. When you came looking for him and knowing that you had never met him and your mother hadn’t seen him since he was born, with his hair coloring and eyes, he could pass for him, so he lied and said he was Chic.”

“Oh my god,” she breathed in shock, shaking her head in disbelief. “The man who held me prisoner and sold my sister wasn’t my brother? I invited a complete stranger into my home and he kept me prisoner?” Jughead nodded remorsefully and she burst into tears, her hands covering her face.

“God, baby I’m so sorry,” he said sadly, moving to hold her and she suddenly started to laugh. She laughed and cried at the same time and he briefly wondered if she was losing it.

“Oh thank God,” she gasped, more laughing now than crying. He looked at her in surprise. “I’m not related to that pig,” Betty exclaimed happily.

“You’re happy?” he asked. “I mean, I guess knowing you weren’t related is good but you were held captive and almost killed by a stranger.”

“Better than someone who was supposed to be family,” she insisted and he smiled, taking her hand and pulling her close. Betty melted against him, wondering how, after living through something so awful, had she found someone so wonderful. Well, actually, he had found her. A thought came to her suddenly and she sat back up. “Do you think maybe if your sister knows, she’ll not hate me so much? I mean, she can’t blame me for my fake brother’s shit anymore,” she said hopefully.

“I think that was just her excuse,” Jughead said with an angry sigh. “Deep down it wasn’t about that at all.” Betty furrowed her brow and studied his face.

“Well, what’s it about then? She throws Chic in my face every time she sees me,” Betty mentioned in confusion. Jughead moved and leaned down, grabbing his jacket from the floor and pulled out his smokes. 

“Is this a smoking room?” he asked. 

“Does it smell like a smoking room?” she asked with a laugh.

“No,” he sighed, throwing them back down. Betty climbed off the bed and hurried over to the table and grabbed the bottle of brandy and came back to the bed and handed it to him as she climbed back in. He took a sip and offered her the bottle and she took it, taking a sip of her own. “That’s really good,” he noted, taking another sip before putting it down on the bedside table. “You ordered the entire bottle?”

“I wanted to get drunk,” she said with a laugh. Jughead tucked her into his side and kissed her forehead before he started talking.

“My mom left when JB was 10 years old. It was really hard on her, more so than me because she was so young and to make her feel better, my dad kind of indulged her. Whatever she wanted, she got. We all indulged her. We didn’t realize it at first but she really started to like the attention and learned very quickly how to manipulate to get what she wanted. After a while, my dad just kind of got lost in his own bullshit and JB did whatever she wanted, especially when I took over the Serpents. I guess I should have paid more attention, but with my dad no longer leading and my grandfather also available, I figured she had two people to guide her and set her straight and while Pop did try, my father wasn’t even in the picture and she kind of ran wild.” Jughead paused and took the bottle, taking another sip and Betty grabbed it and had one as well. “I knew it was a problem,” he continued. “She craves attention like most people crave chocolate and I decided that the best thing for her was to go to school and I somehow managed to convince her to apply to college and she was heading to Chicago when she got taken at the airport,” he finished with a sigh. 

“Do you think school would have helped her?” Betty asked quietly.

“Well, she would have been around strangers and nobody would have been catering to her every whim and I figured it was a way of getting her to grow up. I convinced Pea not to date her until she came back but obviously he didn’t fucking listen,” Jughead sighed. “It sounds terrible to say this, but I don’t know what the hell he saw in her. She was so young and a spoiled brat and he’s not the type of guy to put up with that.”

“Well, apparently he was,” Betty noted with a wince.

“Maybe she was different with him, I don’t know,” he said quietly. “But what happened to her didn’t change her at all, sadly. Honestly, I think some small part of her was excited at the attention it would get her, the attention she always craved and when she came home, there you were, stealing half the spotlight and that just didn’t sit well with her.”

“If that’s true,” Betty said slowly. “That’s really sad. I’m not saying that in a bad way,” she explained quickly, not wanting to sound mean. “I just….I don’t even want attention,” she sighed, feeling her eyes sting. “She doesn’t need to be threatened by me, like at all. I prefer that everyone forget what happened to me or where I come from. Hell, they can all pretend if they want. I don’t want any of it.”

“I know,” Jughead said softly, tugging her close again. “I mean, I knew she was selfish and liked attention and all that, but I didn’t think she’d ever do anything like she did today. I mean, this isn’t just about you anymore, Betty. She hurt _me_ with this and she didn’t care at all.” Betty wanted to cry for him, the sad look on his face breaking her heart as he realized that his sister didn’t care about his feelings any more than she cared about Betty's. She really did only think of herself. 

“I’m sorry, Jug,” she said softly. “Not a good day in regards to siblings for us, is it?”

“No,” he sighed. They sat in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts and after a while Betty sat up. 

“I’m going to go clean up a bit and then I wouldn’t mind taking a nap,” she admitted, stifling a yawn. “Unless you want us to go home already.” Jughead smiled at her use of _home_ and gave her a kiss. 

“I’m home when I’m with you,” he said softly. Betty smiled and kissed him again. “We can nap. I’ll let Cheryl know everything is good and we’ll be home later.”

“Was she angry?” Betty asked with a grimace. 

“More at me than anything,” he said with a chuckle.

“Why on earth would she be mad at you?” Betty asked in surprise.

“Because I actually thought you’d left me because you didn’t want to be with me and she insisted that couldn’t be true. She’s the one who realized you took the bag with the tracker and ordered me to come bring you home,” he explained.

“That had to be fate,” Betty said in relief. “Of all the bags in your closet, I grab the one that can be tracked.”

“See? We belong together,” he smiled. After another soft kiss, Betty went into the washroom and freshened up before hurrying back to him, climbing into the bed and curling into him under the covers. “Cheryl says to hurry home, she wants to hug you,” Jughead said with a smile. Betty sighed in relief that everything would be okay and she snuggled close and was asleep moments later.

 

Two hours later, she woke up screaming. She shot up in bed, gasping for breath and Jughead woke immediately, sitting up and wrapping his arms around her.

“It’s okay, love,” he breathed, feeling her shaking and she started to sob against his chest. “It’s okay.”

“I don’t know what's happening,” she whimpered after a while. “Everything is okay now and I’m still having a nightmare.”

“Hey,” Jughead said, leaning back so he could look at her. “You were almost killed this morning, you found out terrible things happened to your sister, and _my_ sister almost broke us, and just because everything is squared away now, doesn’t mean it all goes away, Betty. You suffered years of trauma and you have PTSD from it. Today was a lot for anybody and way too much for you. This will take some time,” he said softly. “Now at least you know that you’re safe and he can’t hurt you anymore and you don’t have to worry about that and concentrate on getting better.” She sniffed and nodded against his chest, clinging to him like he was her lifeline.

“I dreamt about Polly,” she said sadly. “She was calling for me and he was there and he was laughing…”

“We’ll find her sweetheart,” Jughead promised. “I’m going to use every resource I have and do everything I can to help find her.” 

“I know,” she said with a shiver. “Thank you.”

“How about when we get home, you have a therapy session as soon as possible. Would that be good?”

“Yeah, I haven’t had one in a while and I shouldn’t have stopped,” Betty admitted and he lay back down, taking her with him. She curled into him again and even though it took a while, she eventually fell back to sleep.

 

When she woke again a couple hours later, Jughead was laying beside her, staring at the ceiling. He looked sad and tired and she lifted a hand to touch his face. He immediately turned his head and smiled at her.

“Hey,” she said softly and he leaned down to give her a kiss.

“Hi love,” he murmured and she warmed at the familiar endearment.

“What are you thinking about?” she asked, resting her head on his shoulder. 

“Archie,” he sighed, hugging her close. “Today has been such a long and strange day and it seems crazy that we just buried him yesterday. So much happened in the last 5 days, it just feels…” Jughead trailed off, his voice cracking a little and she pulled on his arm to get him to roll to his side so she could wrap her arms around him. “I’m tired,” he whispered against her neck, a shudder going through him. 

“You didn’t sleep?” 

“I’ll sleep when I get you home,” he mumbled. Betty pulled back and smoothed the frown lines off his forehead. His eyes were glassy with tired, sad tears and she caught one that slipped out. “I keep crying like a baby around you,” he sighed and she smiled. 

“I promise I won’t tell anybody,” she whispered with a gentle smile. He let out a tearful laugh and took a deep breath to try and calm himself. “Jug, let’s go home,” she said softly. 

“It’s getting pretty late,” he mentioned, motioning to the darkness falling outside.

“I don’t care,” Betty said. “I want you to take me home and we’ll get in our own bed and you can sleep.”

“Okay,” he agreed and they got up and got dressed and Betty was ready right away because she hadn’t unpacked anything, not even sure when she’d gotten there if she would stay. 

They checked out and didn’t say much on the way home, their fingers laced together for most of the drive, watching the city race by. She realized she hadn’t gone very far when they made it back to the building in less than an hour and she wondered if she wouldn’t have just come right back. Jughead parked in the garage and turned off the car, turning to look at her.

“Straight upstairs?” he asked, sounding like he was hoping that’s exactly what she wanted to do.

“Please,” she nodded. She figured the only place there would be anybody at this time of night was the lounge and security anyway and the ones that liked to use the gym late. He helped her out of the car and they headed to the elevator, taking it all the way up without any interruptions and in short order, Jughead led her through the door of their apartment and once inside, locked the world out. She dropped her bag and suddenly found herself in his arms and he held her so tight, she almost couldn’t breathe, but she didn’t complain, holding on to him just as tight. He pulled away after a while and kicked his shoes off and she did the same and let out a gasp when he swept her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom. She smiled when she saw the still rumpled bed and when he dropped her on it, she quickly shimmied out of her clothes while he got rid of his and quickly she was back where she belonged. In his arms, under the covers.

“Sleep now,” she whispered as he pulled her close with a sigh of contentment. He seemed to be fighting his exhaustion and she smiled and gave him a soft kiss, knowing what he needed. “I’ll be right here when you wake up,” Betty said softly. “I promise.” She snuggled close and his eyes slowly drifted shut, sleep finally claiming him.

Jughead slept wrapped around her the entire night. Every time she shifted or tried to change position, he tightened his hold and she finally gave up, sprawled on top of him and slept.

 

 

When Jughead woke the following morning, it was with Betty plastered all over him, snoring lightly in his ear and he couldn’t help but grin. She had promised to be right there when he woke and she was. Not that he hadn’t believed her, he had, completely, but finding her exactly where she’d promised she’d be was a relief. She wasn’t off after some deranged lunatic and she hadn’t run in fear, she was tangled up in the sheets and his legs, one hand in his hair, the other stuck underneath him and her soft snore in his ear. He looked over to the side table and grabbed his phone and saw it was almost 10:00am. He had several texts as well.

_Is everything okay?_ Cheryl wanted to know.

_Tell me when you get her home_. From Pop. That one he smiled at, remembering his grandfather’s angry speech the day before. He loved Betty and she wondered just how very much part of the family she already was. If Pop loved you, you were in.

A few more to do with business and he replied to Cheryl and Pop and put the phone down. Only 5 minutes later, there was a loud knock on the door. Jughead rolled his eyes and grabbed his phone and shot off a text to Cheryl.

**Fuck off, she’s sleeping.**

_I’m coming back in half hour._

He laughed and put the phone back again. 

“When you laugh it feels like I’m in an earthquake,” Betty muttered sleepily against his neck. 

“Sorry hon,” he smiled. “Cheryl is coming over in half an hour because she was just knocking and I told her to fuck off.”

“That’s not nice,” Betty exclaimed, smacking his chest. He rolled and she fell off him, letting out a disgruntled huff. “That wasn’t either,” she laughed. He smiled and pulled her close, giving her a soft kiss. “Okay, I forgive you,” she sighed and he did it again. Betty pulled back and studied him.

“What?”

“I’ve never seen you so relaxed,” she observed. “Tired and hints of sadness, but relaxed and calm. It’s nice to see.”

“I’m happy,” Jughead said softly and she smiled, feeling that same happiness inside her. It was such a difference to the tense and worrisome way things had been. She was loved, she was home. She pulled his mouth to hers again and lost herself in his kiss for long moments until she finally pulled away before things got too heated.

“Let’s go take a shower. I need to start our life together feeling refreshed,” she announced and he smiled, following her out of bed and into the bathroom. Precisely twenty minutes later, Cheryl knocked on the door again and Jughead leaned against the counter eating an apple while Betty opened the door. She was almost tackled in a tight hug as Cheryl rushed in and wrapped her arms around her. 

“Thank god,” she breathed, holding her for a moment before stepping back.

“I’m sorry, Cheryl,” Betty said regretfully, her chin trembling a little, trying to hold back her tears. “I shouldn’t have run off.”

“Don’t,” the red head said, her own eyes teary. “Yes, you should have waited and talked to Jughead, but after what that bitch….” She sighed and trailed off, looking at Jughead. “I will never forgive Jellybean for the horrible sow she has been the last few weeks and I should probably tell you that I slapped her smirking face yesterday and I don’t regret it one bit.” Jughead paused in his chewing and raised an eyebrow in surprise. 

“You knew JB was the reason she left?”

“Yes, she walked into the lounge after you left wearing that smug _pleased with herself_ look and I knew immediately she had a hand in it. So I slapped the smirk off her face,” Cheryl admitted. “I’m telling you Jughead, i’ve been putting up with her shit for years and I’m done. She’s crossed the fucking line!”

“I know, Cheryl,” Jughead sighed. “I’ll take care of it.”

“How?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest, looking mad enough to throw something. “She made Betty leave!” She may as well have stomped her foot, the way she sounded.

“Cheryl?” Betty said softly, getting the woman’s attention. “I’m sorry I left you.” Cheryl burst into tears and hugged her again. 

“Don’t ever do it again!” she ordered, pulling away and wiping her face with a glare. She straightened her shirt, lifted her chin and marched out of the apartment and Betty hid her mouth behind her hand to keep from laughing.

“Should I be worried?” Jughead asked in amusement. 

“I don’t know,” Betty said with a smirk. “Her and Toni did hold me all night long when you were gone.” Jughead’s eyes widened a little. “Three beautiful women holding each other in bed.” He glared at her. “We were crying, you dork,” she said with an eyeroll. He pulled away from the counter and came over to her, wrapping his arms around her and walking her toward the couch.

“From now on, you can cry all over me,” he said softly. “And I promise you won’t be crying because of me.”

“Well, that night it was more sadness that Archie died, and I really really missed you,” she admitted. 

“Even thought you were angry with me?” he asked with a smile.

“Especially then because even though it’s you I was angry at, you are the only one I want to hold me when I need comfort.” Jughead set her down and framed her face with his hands.

“Do you think it will always be like that?” he wondered.

“That you’ll be the only one I want to hold me?” she asked softly. “Well, you’re about the best catch in this city and I would be absolutely foolish to let you go and I’ve sort of gotten addicted to your strong arms holding me, so I’m going to say it’s a safe bet that it will always be like that.”

“So no throw backs?” he teased.

“You know, I’ve never been fishing, but I have watched the fishing shows and I never understood catch and release,” she mused. “I think I prefer catch and eat…” Her mouth moving over his jaw made him groan.

“Shouldn’t that be my line?” he growled against her ear, lifting her against him.

“You didn’t catch me, you stole me,” she giggled when he bit her earlobe. “My Shadow Thief,” she whispered. Jughead took her mouth in a thorough kiss and was about to carry her back to bed when his phone rang. He ignored it and when she noticed he was ready to take her clothes off again she pulled away and smiled at him. “You have to get that, it might be important.”

“It’s not,” he insisted, his hands sliding under her shirt.

“Sweetie, we have three weeks to relocate and a lot of shit just went down. Now is not the time to ignore phone calls,” Betty informed. 

“Fine,” he sighed, pulling it from his pocket and looking at it. The scowl that appeared on his face made wasn’t a good sign. “What’s up?” he asked after hitting answer. He kept it on speaker which made Betty smile.

“We have a problem in the lounge,” Toni sighed. “Mary just went after your sister and you better get down here.”

“Fucking hell,” Jughead muttered as he turned the call off. Betty said nothing, looking at him with worry. It seemed that Jughead’s sister was a problem regardless of whether Betty was around or not. “I’ll be back,” he huffed and left the apartment.

 

Jughead walked into the lounge and let out a sigh of frustration at the scene in front of him. Mary was crying at the bar with Toni trying to console her and Cheryl was standing next to Jellybean looking like she wanted to kill her. Jellybean, as usual, sat with a look on her face as if the world was inconveniencing her. 

“What’s going on?” Jughead barked loudly and Mary jumped up when she saw him.

“Mister Jughead, I would have never told Jellybean about moving if I knew she was using it to get Miss Betty to leave. I promise! I didn’t know she was trying to run off your lady,” the older woman cried and Jughead furrowed his brow in confusion.

“What are you talking about?”

“Well, it appears that she found out your sister used her to push Betty to leave,” Cheryl snapped and Jellybean rolled her eyes.

“For God’s sake Mary,” she sighed. “All I did was ask you if your husband told you we were leaving and when that was.” The older woman clenched her fists and stepped closer to JB.

“I had no idea that Miss Betty didn’t know yet and if I had known you were using it to hurt her, I would have never answered you!” Mary yelled. She turned back to Jughead. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make her leave.”

“You didn’t,” Cheryl said angrily. “This selfish cow did.”

“You can’t talk to me like that,” Jellybean yelled, getting out of her chair. 

“I’ll talk to you any way I want,” Cheryl snapped. “You’re lucky I don’t throw your ass out the window.”

“Okay, enough!” Jughead roared and they all fell silent and Mary visibly jumped. “Jellybean, go to your apartment, I’ll be up in a minute.”

“Excuse me?” 

“Now!” As brave as Jellybean thought she was, she knew better than to go against his orders and she left with an angry glare and Jughead walked up to Mary. “You don’t have to apologize,” he said with a gentle smile. “None of this is your fault and if she hadn’t used you to get what she wanted, she would have used something or someone else.” The woman managed a wobbly smile and a nod.

“I’m sorry, Jughead, but your sister isn’t a nice woman,” she said in a whisper.

“I know,” Jughead sighed. He turned to Cheryl who still looked furious. “I’ll take care of it,” he assured her.

“How exactly?” she asked. “You know she’s not going to stop. She thrives on chaos and I’m on the verge of saying either she goes or I go.”

“Just, let me handle it,” he sighed, unsure of how he was going to do that, exactly. He left the lounge and made his way up to Sweet Pea’s apartment and hoped he wasn’t there because he didn’t want to deal with his sister in front of her boyfriend. By the time he knocked on the door he was burning with anger. Cheryl was right; Jellybean loved to make trouble and it couldn’t be allowed to continue. After a moment he realized she wasn’t going to open it for him so he did it himself and walked in, slamming it shut behind him.

“Make yourself at home,” she said sarcastically from where she stood by the window. Jughead stood for a moment and watched her and wondered just where they had all fucked up to allow her to become so self centered and cruel. Or was it just the kind of person she was and it wasn’t anybody’s fault.

“Is Pea here?” he asked. She turned and looked at him in surprise.

“He moved in with Fangs,” she said, her voice void of emotions. “Figured you’d know that.” Jughead let out a breath and ran a hand through his hair. 

“You really don’t care about anybody but yourself, do you?” he noted sadly. He had come up here ready to give her hell but looking at her and the fact that she had no remorse for anything she did just made him sad. “You don’t care who you hurt, as long as you get what you want.”

“Why? Because I don’t want to be around someone who’s brother tried to kill me?” she scoffed. Jughead laughed and pulled out his cigarettes and lit one up, ignored the way his sister glared at the action.

“I don’t like smoking in here,” she snapped.

“I don’t like a lot of shit you do, and it doesn't stop you,” he snapped back. “But let’s get something out of the way right off the hop,” Jughead continued. “This bullshit that you keep spouting about Betty being Chic’s sister can stop now. He admitted that he wasn’t related to her at all and that he killed her real brother and he was nothing but an imposter. Betty was held captive by a complete stranger for years.”

“That’s a lie,” Jellybean said angrily. “She looks just like him.”

“No, she doesn’t,” Jughead insisted. “Their coloring is the same and that’s it. I spent enough time with that bastard to know and there was zero resemblance past blonde hair and blue eyes and that could be just about anybody. They aren’t related and she’s just a young woman that he terrorized, just like he did with you and honestly, she had it much worse than you. You literally now have no more reason or excuse to hate her, but it really wasn’t about that at all, was it?”

“What do you mean?” JB asked, sounding grumpy and annoyed.

“You don’t give a shit that she was his sister, you don’t care about anything she went through, as God awful as it is, something she still has nightmares and panic attacks about, you were just angry because you didn’t get all the attention,” he explained.

“That’s ridiculous,” she laughed.

“No, it’s not. That’s what’s so sick about all this. You were shot and thrown in a fucking river, you were left for dead and basically got to start over, got a chance to be a better person, got a new chance at life and all you care about is that someone took some of the attention you thought was all reserved for you and the funny thing about it is that she doesn’t even want it. She wishes that nobody would even bring it up or remember what happened to her and you just want people to fawn all over you and treat you like some fragile baby that needs constant soothing,” Jughead said angrily. “What’s even more funny in a fucked up way is that you could have totally had all that. Betty didn’t need it and had you been nice about it, she probably would have fawned all over you too because it’s in her nature to take care of people. She literally never thinks of herself but in your jealous, selfish, childish anger, you lashed out at someone who would have taken it upon herself to take care of you if you’d only given her the chance.”

“Please, like I need her attention,” she muttered.

“Do you like hurting people?” he asked quietly. “Does it give you some thrill? I mean, you’ve been a brat and selfish since mom left and we all foolishly let you string us along and you’ve gotten very good at using and manipulating people, even poor Mary, who literally did nothing and you used her to hurt Betty.”

“It’s not my fault she’s so thin skinned,” JB said with an eye roll. “And maybe I was just tired of hearing about precious perfect Betty all the time,” she snapped. “I don’t know her at all and I don’t want to know her and I really don’t care if I hurt her feelings.”

“What about me?” Jughead asked quietly. “Do my feelings matter?”

“Of course your feelings matter,” JB insisted. “You’re my brother and I love you.”

“Yet you didn’t care about how chasing off Betty would make me feel. I love her, Jellybean. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me. She is the best person I know and when she left both in the morning to go after Chic for us and when you chased her off, I was fucking devastated. I walked in on that monster choking the life out of her, her face turning blue as she struggled to breathe, as he taunted her and told her how he let his henchman rape her sister before he sold her to a monster. I won’t ever forget the pain I saw in her eyes. The horror and the agony. Then, to have her come home, with all that inside her, to have you treat her like she was nothing but trash…letting her think, on top of everything else, that I didn’t love her….” Jughead paused for a moment, his voice catching and he swallowed around the ache in his throat. Jellybean looked away, seeming to finally understand what she had done to him. “Then I come home and find her gone and for a little while, I thought she didn’t love me or want to be with me. Do you know what that feels like, Jelly? To have your heart break into a million pieces where it hurts to even breathe. Have you ever been that devastated? And you don’t care. You don’t care that you did that to me. I lost my best friend a week ago and a few days later you did your very best to drive away the person I love the most. And you simply don’t give a fuck.” 

“Jug, I’m…”

“No,” he interrupted. “Don’t you dare fucking apologize because I don’t accept it. You are selfish and you’re cruel and I’m done with it. You do nothing but make people miserable for a little attention and to amuse yourself and it’s over. You had something awful happen to you JB and I am sorry about that and I still wish I could go back and save you that pain, but all that aside, you’re not a nice person and that hurts to say, but it’s true. From this moment on, you’re on your last warning. I have people telling me that either you go or they go and I won’t stand for it. I will not let you tear this family apart so you need to make a decision right now. You either decide you’re part of the family and that includes Betty, or you’re not and you act accordingly. The decision is yours, so make it a good one or I’ll make it for you and you probably won’t like what I decide.” Jellybean was silent a while, staring at the floor and looking remorseful for the first time in her life. She finally looked at him and he saw that the impact had only been slight because she looked more furious than sorry.

“I think I’ll go back to school,” she said flatly. 

He wasn’t surprised.

“Pick one in Europe,” he ordered and turned and left the apartment.

 

 

The following day, Sweet Pea found Jellybean on the roof, looking out of the city. He walked slowly, trying to think of something to say before getting there and he was still blank as he gripped the railing next to her.

“You’re not thinking of jumping, are you?” he joked quietly.

“You might give me a hand if I was,” she said with a humorless laugh. He said nothing and a few minutes passed before he spoke again.

“Jughead told me you were leaving,” he mentioned.

“Yeah, I don’t think anybody wants me around,” she shrugged. Pea let out a sigh as she once again acted like the victim. 

“You know,” he said softly. “I used to find your bratty-ness cute and sweet and honestly, I just thought it was part of being young. I thought you’d grow out of it and despite the fact that you seemed to rub everyone the wrong way, you were always different with me and I couldn’t help but fall in love with you. I wonder sometimes, if what you felt for me, or how you acted with me was an act. Were you manipulating me? Was any of it real?” 

“Yes, it was real,” she said, her voice catching. She looked at him and Pea saw the tears and he steeled himself, not trusting it, having seen too much in the last couple of months to believe her. “Besides Pop, you’re the only one who didn’t act like I was a bother,” she explained. “When you looked at me, I could see that you liked me and that you weren’t judging me and that you cared about me and how I felt and I…I loved you too, Pea, I promise it wasn’t an act,” JB said, her chin quivering. “But the last couple of months, you started looking at me the same way everyone else does; like you don’t want me around, like you no longer care, like I’m some bother that you have to put up with.”

“Jelly, the way you’ve been acting,” he sighed. “I mean, I guess with me it wasn’t bad so it didn’t really bother me how you acted but after what happened to you, it just got way worse and I don’t understand it. I don’t understand this person you are now. It’s like almost dying made you even more desperate for attention and it just…”

“Yeah, I get it,” she choked out, looking back out over the city, gripping the rails so tight, her knuckles were white.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I don’t mean to be hurtful. I think you need to get help, Jelly. You never got that after your mom left and everyone just kind of let you run wild and none of us noticed just how much you were struggling and I think it’s been piling of for years and I really think you should get some help and sort through your issues.”

“I guess we’re really over then?” she asked, a tear slipping down her cheek. 

“Well, you’re leaving so I don’t see the point in continuing,” he admitted. “I think you need to grow up and we never should have started to begin with. I should have listened to your brother and let you grow a little but sometimes we do stupid things when we’re in love. It certainly blinds us to certain things.”

“Will you miss me at all?” she asked tearfully. 

“I’ll miss who I thought you were,” he said, feeling heartless and cruel but he didn’t want to lie to her. This person he had been seeing the last while wasn’t the girl he fell in love with and he realized he never did really see who she was. “I think you need to work on yourself, maybe find a therapist and really deal with all the things inside you that make you lash out and hurt people.”

“And if I do that and I get better? If I come home a changed person?” 

“Are you asking me to wait?” Pea asked.

“No, I guess not,” she whispered. “That wouldn’t really be fair, would it?”

“No, it wouldn’t but hey, maybe the next time I see you, if things work in our favor, who knows,” he shrugged. It was enough for her and she hugged him. He felt her tears wet his shirt and he held her close for a while before dropping a kiss on top of her head and walking away.

 

Four days later, Jellybean was on a plane on her way to the Karolinska Institute in Sweden where Jughead had reached out to an old friend he’d snagged a painting for who ran the medical program that she had shown an interest in. The school also happened to have a psychiatric program that was looking for subjects and to Jughead’s surprise, she wanted to be in it. It was a start and whether it would help or not, remained to be seen.

He walked into the lounge after returning home from dropping her at the airport – and making sure she actually made it to the plane, with someone in Sweden to meet her – and found Sweet Pea nursing a drink at a table in the corner. He grabbed a scotch for himself and went over to join him.

“You doing alright?” he asked softly.

“Nothing a good drink can’t fix,” Pea joked as he lit a cigarette. He offered one to Jughead and they smoked in silence for a while.

“I’m sorry, Pea,” Jughead said. “Maybe I should have been more clear earlier on why I didn’t want you dating her. She really does need some help and needs to grow up and I feel like we all failed her.”

“It wouldn’t have matter,” he sighed. “Love clouds judgement sometimes and don’t blame yourself for what happened. She made her own choices.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Did she go as Jellybean Jones or as someone else?” 

“She went as herself,” Jughead said quietly.

“You’re not worried about the feds?”

“No, she left the country and she won’t be returning and Keller assured me that she would be left alone as she didn’t really have anything to do with our business anyway.”

“Speaking of business,” Pea mentioned. “Things are rolling the way we planned and everything should go smoothly and nobody will the wiser.”

“Glad to hear it,” Jughead said with a sigh of relief. “I’ll be glad when this shit is done and we’re gone.”

“Yeah, I hear that,” the other man said heavily. “I need a really good vacation!”

“Retired at 26 sound good?” Jughead asked with a laugh.

“Sounds good to me,” Pea winked.

 

Betty came into the apartment after a visit with Pop to find Jughead sitting on the couch looking lost in thought. She walked over and he pulled her down on his lap and hugged her tight, his face in her neck.

“Are you okay?” she asked softly, stroking a hand through his hair. “Your sister get on her way alright?” 

“Yeah,” he muttered. “I’m just thinking.”

“About what?”

“If I could have helped more with her. If I should have noticed how bad it was earlier on? If I failed in some way?” he sighed. Betty leaned back and lifted his face to look at her.

“Jughead, this is not your fault,” she assured him. “Your sister had everything and she had a family that would have done anything for her and she took advantage and she played with everyone for her own gain and none of it is your fault.”

“Yeah, I guess,” he shrugged.

“That doesn’t sound convincing,” she said sadly. 

“I don’t know, I feel like I lost her. I mean, I lost my best friend, I almost lost you and I lost my sister and it’s just…..it’s been a really shitty week,” he said with a shaky voice, his eyes going glassy. “And I feel like I haven’t had time yet to sit and breathe and think about things and I still don’t have time, not until we’re out of here.” Betty gave him a soft kiss and hugged him close, wishing she could take his pain away. 

“Well, as soon as we’re settled in our new home, you’ll be able to take all the time you need to think and mourn and let yourself settle again and I’ll be right by your side,” she promised. 

“Always?”

“Always,” Betty smiled. He shifted her until she was straddling his lap and kissed her in earnest, needy and eager and she was just starting to want more when there was a knock on the door and she pulled back with a sigh. “But we can’t relax just yet,” she said with a laugh. She climbed off his lap and went to open the door. Fangs stood there with a grin on his face and she furrowed her brow in curiousity. 

“What’s up Fangs?” Jughead asked, still sitting on the couch.

“The feds are here,” he smirked. “Seems that they found a body.” Jughead sighed and leaned his head back, running his hands through his hair.

“Fuck,” he muttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter left guys!! I can't believe it!! Thank you for taking this journey with me!!!


	27. Full Circle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, it's here! I truly hope you enjoy how I finish this fic and thanks so much for all your support.  
>  **Warning:** description of dead body, talk of trauma

“I’ll be right there,” Jughead called to Fangs who left to gather the rest of the gang. This was a meeting they would all want to be there for. He got up and walked over to Betty and gave her a quick kiss. “You ready to face them?” he asked.

“You want me to come with you?” she asked in surprise.

“Of course,” Jughead said firmly. “I lead the Serpents and you’re my partner; that means you stand beside me.” Betty bit her lip and smiled and he chuckled as he pulled it free. “Stop being cute,” he murmured softly. “Or we won’t leave the apartment.”

“Well then, as your partner, I say, to hell with the feds and let’s go to bed,” she grinned. 

“Naughty little shit,” he sighed and gave her a playful slap on the ass. “Come on, let’s get this over with. We have to go pretend we didn’t kill Chic now.”

“Will they believe us?” Betty asked as they left the apartment and got into the elevator.

“No, but they won’t be able to prove it, so it doesn’t matter.”

“Are you sure?” she asked, worried.

“Positive,” he smiled. Once they stepped off the elevator, he laced their fingers together and they walked into the meeting room, hand in hand. Jughead noticed his father, Pop, Pea, Fangs, Cheryl and Toni were already there and he nodded in greeting. He stood on the opposite side of the table from the agents and lit a cigarette as he regarded them. Keller and Mason looked at Betty, who took her place next to him.

“She get a promotion?” Mason asked curiously.

“What do you want?” Jughead asked, taking a long drag of his cigarette.

“Hospitable as ever,” Keller said with a roll of his eyes. 

“I don’t need to be hospitable,” Jughead shrugged. “Our work with you is done. So again, what do you want?” Agent Keller looked from him to the men and women who took their stand behind him, arms crossed over their chests and then he looked at the blonde who had taken her stand beside him and he smiled slightly. They were quite a pair. He focused back on Jughead.

“Where were you and your Serpents four or so days ago?”

“We’ve been right here, getting ready for the big move,” Jughead replied, blowing smoke across the table. “Did your spies see anyone leave?”

“We’re keeping an eye on you Jughead, not watching you.”

“So why are you asking?” Pea asked behind him. Keller looked at him and then back to Betty. 

“We found a body a couple of days ago,” he said casually. “It was your brother, Chic Cooper. He’s been killed.”

“That’s too bad,” she said without emotion. “Hope it wasn’t quick.” Mason let out a laugh and looked at Jughead.

“Did you kill him?” he asked calmly.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Jughead shrugged. Keller opened a folder he was holding and took out a photo and placed it on the table. He glanced at it and saw Chic hanging on the wall where he’d left him. Betty kept her gaze on the agent.

“We found him chained to a wall. In the same cell that we found some of his men a few months ago, the day after you rescued Miss Cooper from captivity. He had some interesting wounds,” Kevin said casually as he pulled out another picture and dropped it on the table. 

“Oh yeah?” Jughead asked with a smirk as he dragged more of his smoke. 

“Some rather familiar wounds,” the agent informed him. “Two shots to the abdomen; kind of like Archie. One shot to the chest; like Jellybean. Multiple broken bones, also like Jellybean….I’m guessing if the killers had had some time, he might have been starved…” Keller said with a pointed look at Betty.

“Sounds painful,” Jughead observed. “I wonder if he cried.” Kevin threw another couple of photos on the table.

“Multiple stab wounds,” he continued. “Almost like there was a group of some sort and they all got a piece of the action.”

“Well, if there was a group there, killing this piece of shit, then there must be some evidence of who it was, I mean, surely you aren’t just chasing your tail. Tell us who killed him so we can thank them,” Jughead said hopefully.

“Here’s the funny thing,” Keller said, ignoring what Jughead was saying. “There isn’t a single shred of evidence that anybody was there. No fingerprints, no footprints, no nothing. I mean, you’d think with a group as large as we think…” he made a point to let his eyes wander over them all. “They would have left a hair or something but there was nothing. We went over that place with a fine tooth comb and absolutely nothing.”

“Wow, that sucks. That’s going to make your job a lot harder, isn’t it?” Jughead asked with feigned concern.

“I’ll tell you what we did find a lot of,” Keller smirked. “Bleach. Fucking bleach everywhere. Even the god damned ceiling had been wiped down. Not only that, but it was poured everywhere. We had to wear gas masks to go in there because the smell was so over powering. It completely ruined the crime scene. Except Chic. He just hung there, with knives stuck all over him. There was even one through his balls. Of course, none of those had fingerprints either.”

“Wow, very effeciant group,” Betty said quietly. “Sounds like they knew what they were doing.”

“Yes, right down to the bullet between his eyes,” Mason said flatly. “And of course, it didn’t match anything in our database.”

“Bugger,” she sighed.

“We know you guys did it,” Keller said with a sigh. “Only problem is that you’re extremely efficient in cleaning up the crime scene and we’ve been watching and none of you have left in groups. One or two maybe, at separate times, but nobody left that we could pin to being there.” Jughead folded his arms across his chest and gave him a pointed stare.

“Truth is,” Mason said slowly. “The FBI isn’t exactly interested in prosecuting, even if we could prove it. As far as Chic Cooper goes, you did us a favor.”

“Again, no idea what you’re talking about,” Jughead shrugged nonchalantely. 

“We have all the info we need off the list and didn’t need his testimony,” Kevin continued, ignoring Jughead. “And sitting in prison with three square meals a day and free healthcare was too good for the likes of that sick fuck, so unofficially, we would like to thank you on a job well done.” The Serpents said nothing and if he was going to be honest, Kevin was a little unnerved by them. Looking at them now, they looked different than they had a few months ago when he’d approached them. 

Harder somehow. 

Dangerous. 

“I actually spoke to the director in regards to our deal with you, thinking maybe forcing you all to leave was too much, but he stuck to his guns. Says you’re too dangerous and you need to go.”

“Why are the Serpents dangerous?” Betty asked curiously. In her opinion, besides killing a man who needed killing, they wouldn’t hurt a fly.

“Well, for one, you guys can steal something without so much as disturbing the dust around it. Nobody likes chasing a bunch of shadows. Now we realize, not only are you exceptional thieves, you could also kill literally anyone and we would never be able to prove it and that makes you dangerous and we can’t have that,” Kevin explained. “So, I trust all is in order and in a couple of weeks, you’ll all be on your way.”

“Absolutely,” Jughead said with a smile. Kevin furrowed his brow as he regarded them. 

“I had a look into rooms on the way up here. Doesn’t look like you guys are packing yet. How are you going to clear out this building in two weeks?”

“That’s not your concern,” Pop suddenly spoke up. “Was there anything else you wanted?” Kevin looked back at Betty.

“You’re aware of what your brother did for a living?”

“Yes, I’m aware,” she said, unable to keep the tremor from her voice. Jughead uncrossed his arms and took her hand, lacing his fingers through hers and giving it a squeeze. The agent’s gaze flickered down for a moment before continuing.

“And your sister? You’re aware that he sold her?” Betty could only nod. Jughead moved behind her and she leaned against him. It was something she noticed he always did, giving her an anchor and letting her borrow some of his strength. She put her hand behind her and he took it again, stroking it gently. “I want you to know that we are doing everything we can to find her. The fact that she is in Europe and managed to escape whoever bought her is going to make it difficult but we won’t give up, I promise.” 

“Thank you,” Betty said quietly. She didn’t put much trust in what the agent said. Jughead had also promised to find Polly and she put her trust in him. “Did you rescue any other women?” she asked softly.

“We did actually,” Mason said with a smile. “There were five of them in the surrounding states. We managed to locate the heiress Veronica Lodge; she was alive, healthy and while she hadn’t exactly gone willingly to the man who purchased her, she assured us that he hadn’t mistreated her. Regardless, he is in custody at the moment awaiting trial. Another one, Ethel Muggs was found one state over. She was also alive and healthy and happy to come home. Both women of course suffered the way one would expect when being sold into the sex trade, but they were alive and we’re happy to get them home. We rescued three others and unfortunately, have located some that did not survive. There are many others we are still trying to find but we’re doing our best.”

“Thank you,” Betty said again, feeling hope that at least some of the horrible things Chic had done would be amended. 

“Was there anything else?” Jughead asked behind her. 

“No, we’re about done here,” Kevin said as he gathered up the photos and put them back in the file. “I guess we’ll get back to try and figure out who _killed_ Chic Cooper long enough to satisfy curious parties, but something tells me we will never know who did it,” he said with a smirk. He headed to the door with Moose and then paused before he left. “We’ll be back in two weeks. If anyone is left here, you’ll be placed into federal custody.” The Serpents said nothing and watched as both men left the way they came.

“Well, that was…” Betty started and then trailed off, unsure of what to say for a bit. “I don’t understand – if they know we did it, why wouldn’t they arrest us?”

“Because knowing we did it and being able to prove it are two entirely different things,” FP said with a smile.

“And like the agent said,” Jughead added with a smile. “We did them a favor and save them millions in funds to lock up that pig.”

“Well, good then,” she said with a sigh of relief. “How did I do?” she asked Jughead with a little smile. 

“Very good,” he said softly, his hands coming up to frame her face. “Quality partner material,” he added with a grin. Betty giggled and bit her lip, which she was starting to realize drove him crazy with the way it made his eyes darken and drop to her mouth immediately. He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers and was interrupted with Pop clearing his throat. Betty jumped, having forgotten they had an audience. She flushed when she noticed everyone staring at them with amused expressions on their faces.

“Good of you to notice us,” Toni smirked. Betty stepped back and faced the others. 

“Actually, I wanted to say something,” she said a little shyly and she grabbed Jughead’s hand for courage. “First, I want to apologize for taking off the other day….well, for taking off twice…”

“Betty, there’s no need….” Pop started and she held up her hand and smiled. He quieted and let her continue.

“I’m sorry I went after Chic and forced all your hands to chase after me. It was selfish of me to just expect you to come rescue me and put all your lives in danger. I am however very pleased with the results of that rescue and I want to thank you all for what you did. You rid the world of an evil man and I’m eternally grateful,” she said fervently. “I’d also like to apologize for leaving again later that day and for not trusting Jughead enough and for upsetting everyone. You have all become my family and I really don’t know what I’d do without you. I’m so thankful that you’ve all welcomed me into the Serpents and I promise that you can count on me and I will always be loyal,” Betty pledged tearfully. “You guys literally saved my life and you took me in and took care of me when you didn’t have to and I will never forget it.” Jughead’s arms came around her waist from behind and he pressed a kiss to her temple.

“I love you,” he murmured in her ear. She held his arms to her and leaned against him. 

“Also,” she added quickly. “I’d like to know which one of you put the knife in Chic’s balls.”

“Umm, that would be me,” Fangs said with a grimace. “He told me I was pretty and asked if I had a sister.” Betty pulled away from Jughead and walked over to him and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

“Thank you,” she said simply. Fangs blushed and glanced at Jughead who merely smiled. “Now,” Betty said with a sigh. “We have to be out of here in two weeks and I honestly have no idea how we’re going to do that and what’s going on so can you guys please fill me in because I’m lost.”

They all looked at each other and smiled and FP pulled out a chair for her and motioned for her to sit down. She sat and Jughead took the seat next to her while they all found a place to sit and then they filled her in on what had been happening over the last couple of months already, that she had been clueless on and what was going to happen in the next two weeks. She was completely astonished at their plan and efficiency and couldn’t help but grin in excitement over what was to come.

 

 

A week later, Betty was leaning over the island, looking through some car magazines she had found in the garage that piqued her interest when Jughead walked into the apartment. He leaned in as he walked past her and left a kiss on the side of her head and kept going until he disappeared into his office. Letting out a laugh, she followed him, finding him leaning against his desk and rifling through some papers. She walked over to him and slowly pulled the papers from his hands and set them on the desk, standing between his legs and wrapping her arms around his neck.

“It’s that important that you can’t even pause and give me a proper kiss?” she teased.

“Sorry babe,” he sighed, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer. “My mind’s a little preoccupied.” Betty smoothed his curl off his forehead and gave him a soft kiss.

“I was only teasing but maybe you should take a break,” she suggested. 

“We need to be out of here in a week and they aren’t giving us any extra room. I have to make sure everything is squared away and everyone is taken care of.”

“They are, Jug,” Betty said softly. “I did a check this morning and every single person is ready to go. The only thing left to do is pack up whatever you have left in here that’s important and we’re done.”

“You’re all done packing?” he asked.

“Well, everything I own can fit into three boxes,” she chuckled. “I can do it in 15 minutes.”

“Alright,” Jughead sighed. “When we get to our new location, I’m taking you shopping. No more hand me downs and used clothes from Cheryl and Toni.”

“I don’t mind.”

“Well, I do,” he grumbled. “We have piles of money, even you have an envelope full that would set you up for a while if you were on your own. Time to buy you a wardrobe,” he insisted. 

“Well, I don’t really have anything suitable for where we’re going, so I’ll take you up on that shopping trip,” Betty agreed. She looked down at the papers she had taken from his hand. “What’s that you’re going through?” Jughead sighed and twisted, picking up the paper again.

“Papers that belonged to Archie,” he said quietly. “I mean, I don’t need to keep them as it’s just information on his holdings and operations and his different names. He took care of all that in the will, leaving it all to the Serpents in whatever way he saw fit, but it just…I don’t know….throwing it away seems so final and sad.”

“Well, then keep them,” she suggested gently. “We’ll keep the file in a safe and pull it out when we want to remember him more clearly.”

“Yeah, we can do that,” Jughead smiled, putting the papers back down. He hugged her close, resting his chin on top of her head and let out a long breath.

“Are you feeling sad, having to leave here?” she asked softly.

“A little,” he admitted. “We aquired this building three years ago and fixed it up and got everyone settled and had planned on doing heists for another couple years and then retire and now we have to uproot everyone and it doesn’t really seem fair, but it is what it is, I guess. Better than jail,” he added with a chuckle.

“I think everyone would agree with you on that,” she laughed. Jughead lifted his hands and rested them on the sides of her neck, his thumbs brushing across her cheeks. 

“So, you’re completely fine with leaving the country with me and never coming back? I mean, I’m sure we could sneak in, but I wouldn’t want to risk it. I wouldn’t want to do anything that could jeopardize my life with you.”

“I’m completely fine with it,” Betty assured him. “I have nothing here and what I do have is you and the Serpents and I go where you go. I’m ready for a new adventure and I’m so incredibly happy that it’s going to be with you.”

“I love you,” he said softly, his eyes shining with the truth of it. “You have changed my life and I’m so happy you’re in it.”

“I love you too,” she whispered and he lowered his head and kissed her gently, slowly, his tongue flicking lightly at her lips. She opened for him and they spent few minutes exchanging lazy kisses, tongues sliding against each other. Jughead’s hands moved down and grasped her backside, lifting her against him and turning, depositing her on the desk and she pulled away and smirked at him. “Don’t you have things to do?” she asked slyly.

“Oh yes,” he breathed, his hands finding their way under her shirt.

“Will you always want me this much?” she whimpered when his hands cupped her breasts. She reached down and grabbed the hem of her shirt, pulling it up and over her head and he groaned.

“Sweetheart, I get hard just looking at you; wanting you is a daily issue because I can barely concentrate on walking around you, nevermind anything else.” Betty bit her lip and his eyes darkened, the look on his face letting her know exactly how much he wanted her. He gently pushed her back and she lay across the desk, her legs hanging over the edge as he moved between them. His hands slid up her legs, drawing up the skirt she wore that made it oh so convenient for him to get to what he was looking for. 

“Seems like you’re wanting me as well,” he murmured, his fingers brushing between her legs, finding her panties warm and moist.

“Always,” she gasped when he pushed them aside to touch her heat. He bent over her, his mouth finding hers as his fingers slid inside her and they forgot all about what they were _supposed_ to be doing and concentrated on what they _wanted_ to be doing.

 

 

Betty stood at the railing of the rooftop terrace and looked out over Central Park and let out a small sigh. She was going to miss this the most. The terrace had become a sanctuary of sorts for her and she hated leaving it. She had barely slept the night before and had woken alone in bed at one point, finding Jughead walking the halls of the building one last time.

“Is everyone going to the same place?” she asked Toni and Cheryl who stood beside her.

“A lot of us. Some of the older Serpents are going off on their own and settling wherever they want to. Jughead always made sure that everyone got a share of the money we made, whether they were involved in the heists or not and now the whole world is their playground, basically,” Cheryl laughed. “We can go anywhere and while it will seem strange that we can’t ever come back here, I’m ready for whatever awaits us.”

“Well, we should head out,” Toni said with a sigh. “You and Jug about ready?”

“Yeah, you know him,” Betty smiled. “He’s going to be the last one leaving, make sure everything is squared away. We’ll see you guys there.”

“You coming in?” Cheryl asked as she looked up at the sky. “Looks like it might rain.”

“I’m going to hang for a few more minutes. I’ll see you soon,” Betty said, hugging both of them. They left and soon she was alone, looking around the roof and back out over the city. New York. Her entire life she had been in this city and it held both good and terrible memories and she was ready to leave it all behind. 

“Hey you,” came a soft voice behind her and she smiled and turned to find Jughead watching her. He stood, hands in his pockets, a small smile on his lips. “Mind if I join you?”

“Of course not,” she said, holding out her hand. He took it and stepped closer as she turned and looked out over the park again. He stood and wrapped his arms around her from behind, pulling her against him, planting a kiss on top of her head.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked softly. 

“I was thinking how much I was going to miss this terrace,” she whispered. “So many wonderful things happened up here. So many fun girl talks with Cheryl and Toni; being able to sit and enjoy the sun for the first time in years; realizing I was falling in love with you,” she turned in his arms and touched his face. “We were up here the first time we said _I love you_ and I’ll never forget it.” Jughead smiled and lowered his head to rest his forehead on hers.

“Even though it was ruined a couple days later by a traitor?” he asked in a hushed voice.

“Not even that could ever take away how amazing that night was,” Betty said honestly. “The most amazing man I know told me that he loved me and then he made love to me and nothing will ever ruin that for me.” Jughead brushed his nose along hers, his mouth whispering over her skin. 

“I’ll never forget how freeing it was to finally tell you that I loved you,” he admitted. “I felt like everything just clicked into place and I was whole.” He was pressing soft kisses to her mouth as he spoke and Betty slid her hands into his hair and pressed closer. 

“You’re making me want to relive it,” she whispered, breathing him in.

“I would like nothing more than to take your clothes off right now and make love to you, but we’re about to get rained on,” he chuckled and she felt the drops starting. “And while sex in the rain sounds hot, the fact of the matter is; it’s fall and a little too cold for that. But…” Jughead said as his hands moved to cup her face. “I can give you that kiss in the rain you’ve always wanted.” Betty’s breath caught and her eyes widened a little.

“You remember I said that?” she asked.

“I remember everything,” he smiled and then he kissed her, the rain starting to fall lightly around them. He was right, it was chilly, but his arms and his warm mouth chased the chill away and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing closer as she returned his kiss eagerly. When he pulled back for breath, she gripped his hair and pulled him in again. “You know,” he said against her lips, tasting the raindrops that landed on her. “All we need is some epic music to start playing and this could be like the conclusion to a romantic movie.” Betty giggled at the image he painted.

“Well, a conclusion to New York anyway,” she said softly, smiling into his beautiful blue eyes. “Our epic romance is just beginning.” He kissed her again and by the time they pulled apart, they were well on their way to being soaked. Jughead grinned at her, wiping the rain drops off her cheeks and she leaned in again, wanting more of his mouth on hers, his tongue stroking against hers. After many arousing minutes, he pulled away with a groan and stepped back.

“Stop it,” he sighed. “Before I forget how cold it is and bend you over the railing.” Betty grinned and he laughed. “Seriously, stop it!” 

“Well then, I guess since you won’t drop your pants for me, we should be on our way,” she said dramatically. 

“I have a better idea,” he suddenly said with a smirk, taking her hand and walking to the door with her. She looked around one last time and followed him back into the building. “Since we’re the only ones left and know for sure we won’t be disturbed,” he said with a wink.

“What do you have in mind?” she wondered out loud as she followed him into the elevator. He said nothing as they took it down and she soon found herself led into the lounge. It was dark and strange with nobody there and when Jughead grasped her waist and set her on the pool table she bit her lip and gave him a look. “Oh, you are very very bad,” she giggled. “Just how long have you been…”

“Fantasizing about fucking you on the pool table?” he finished for her and she blushed. “I’m not admitting anything,” he grinned, his hands sliding up her legs.

“Well, I do recall doing it on a car, going at in the pool, in the sauna….” She smirked. “You didn’t seem too concerned about getting caught then, why did we wait so long for this?” He pulled back in surprise and she burst out laughing. “I’m kidding.” Betty grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him in for a kiss and soon the only sounds in the building were their moans and gasps as he loved her one last time in the place that had been her home and had brought her back to life.

It was a good long while later when Jughead, a grin plastered on his face, had to almost peel her off the pool table that he had melted her into. He helped her get dressed again and once she could stand without fear of melting into a puddle, she made sure the pool table was clean. Thankfully, it was.

“Alright,” Jughead said softly when they had squared everything away and had done a final sweep of the building. “You ready, love?” Betty smiled and took his hand.

“I’m ready.”

Moments later, they were on their way.

 

 

Agents Mason and Keller sat in their car and watched the Serpent building. The previous day had been the deadline for them to be out of the country and so far, nobody had left and the director had been very serious about them leaving and had sent a team to bring them in. 

“What do you think?” Kevin asked, taking a sip of his coffee. 

“Well, the guy we had on the building says that he hasn’t seen any moving trucks or anything of the sort near the building. He also said nobody has come or gone in the last two days.”

“What about the airports?”

“If they did somehow manage to slip by us, they didn’t show up at any New York airport either and none of the names we know they have have registered on any database,” Moose explained.

“Well, I guess we go in,” Kevin sighed. “If they’re in there, I’m afraid they won’t get out of this easy.”

“Well, the gate is open, so I guess we just drive in?” Keller gave the signal and the vehicles carrying the team of feds entered the compound and they pulled to a stop, climbing out and surveying the building. 

“See anything?” he asked. Mason rested his hands on his hips and looked up and around and shook his head.

“Not a soul.”

Kevin walked over to the front door and tried it, surprised when it swung open. He walked in slowly with Moose at his heels and looked around. It was eerily quiet and dark, no lights on anywhere that he could see. The team swarmed in behind him and while he knew the weapons weren’t necessary, he realized it was protocol and watched as the agents started filtering out to every part of the building. Walking down the corridor a bit, he pushed open a door and found the pool and gym.

“Drained pool,” Moose said next to him. “Wouldn’t do that if you were coming back.”

“Coming back from where?” Kevin asked in confusion. “As far as we know, they haven’t fucking left.” He walked around a bit, finding the security room and looking over the equipment. While they still functioned, none of them were recording and there weren’t any recordings in the system. It had been wiped clean.

“This is very weird,” Mason said quietly as they walked back to the elevator. On the next floor they found the lounge, all the furniture still there, the only thing missing was the alcohol. There was however an unopened bottle of scotch on the bar with an envelope leaned against it. It was addressed to Kevin. 

_Enjoy the scotch. It’s very old and may or may not be stolen._ It was sighed, _The Serpents_ Kevin let out a laugh and took the bottle, deciding he’d earned it. 

“Keller, we got something in the meeting room,” a voice came over the COM system and the agents headed over there. Sitting on the long table was a large envelope and a note attached to the front. He read it and looked at Moose, showing him the note. 

“Get her here now.”

“The place is empty, Keller,” another agent came over the COMs. “Every apartment is deserted. Furniture is still here, decorative items and the like, but all personal belongings are gone. This place is empty and they have definitely left.”

“What about the garage?” Kevin asked. 

“Filled with cars, sir,” yet another agent chimed in. “Very expensive cars. Tools are still here in mechanics but all paper work has been removed.”

“Okay, what the fuck,” Moose muttered. “They couldn’t have just fucking vanished into thin air. How the hell do over 50 people and their personal belongings disappear without so much as a trace?”

“Well, they are thieves and Jughead Jones is known as the Shadow Thief, so if he can move like the shadows, he can probably teach them to do it as well.” 

“Still, why leave everything? There must be millions in assets here, not counting the building. They had a free pass, why not sell it all or move it. I don’t get it,” Moose said in confusion. 

“This place is empty boss,” someone said over the system. “Nobody to arrest and not a single personal item to be found. They’re gone.”

“Figure out how,” Kevin snapped.

“Why does it matter how?” Moose asked. “I mean, they left. Isn’t that what we wanted?”

“Yes, but we still want to know where the fuck they went. We will literally never hear a word about them again. They could slip back into the country and we’d never know it.”

“Well, we know where Jellybean Jones is.”

“Well, we promised to leave her alone and we wouldn’t get anything from her anyway,” Kevin explained as he opened the envelope and pulled out the contents. He read over the first page and let out a laugh as he flipped through the rest. “Jesus,” he breathed. Forty-five minutes later, Midge Klump was standing in front of him, looking at them in confusion.

“If you’re going to ask me where the Serpents are, I have no idea,” she said flatly. 

“You don’t know when they seemingly vanished into thin air?” Keller asked with a smirk.

“No, I don’t. They spent the last couple of months coming to me to say goodbye and never told me when they would actually leave.”

“So you’ll never hear from them again? Is that what you’re saying?” Moose asked. She turned to smile at him.

“Well, I didn’t say that,” she chuckled. “I’ll hear from them. When and where, I have no idea but I won’t give any clues if you’re thinking of following me. Why am I here anyway? I thought they were allowed to leave, no questions asked.”

“Do you know anything about this?” Kevin asked, holding up the contents of the envelope.

“No, what is it?” she asked, confused. 

“You had no idea they were leaving you anything?”

“What exactly did they leave me?” she asked with furrowed brow. Kevin pulled the first page off the pile and read out loud.

“The Serpent property and all the contents in it are being gifted to Midge Klump. Every vehicle, every piece of furniture, every single thing that hasn’t been taken when we vacate the premises is now fully and outright owned by Miss Klump,” he spoke and she gasped, her hand on her chest and shaking her head.

“What?” she choked out. “That can’t be right.” 

“We ask only that she use the building and it’s assets to help those that have been rescued from sex trafficking. The following papers list every single thing on the premises and how the building is run and all its safety measures. We have also included an account, the information of which will arrive shortly and into the hands of Miss Klump only, to use to keep the place going and hire a staff. Should she have need of anything, she should not hesitate to ask the lawyer assigned to this case who will have every answer she needs. Any interference from the FBI or any law enforcement agency will result in lawsuits that have already been written and just waiting to be filed,” Kevin finished with a laugh. “Jesus Christ, the nerve of this guy….”

“Is this for real?” Midge asked, still completely in shock and looking very much like she wanted to faint.

“Signed by several lawyers and bankers,” Kevin informed her, placing the papers down in front of her. “Also a note on the envelope informed me that there are several copies of this deal in the hands of several lawyers and we shouldn’t fuck with you.” Midge picked up the papers, her hands shaking.

“What…how much…”

“What’s it all worth?” Kevin asked with a chuckle. “Millions. The building alone is worth that. Add to that all the furniture, which isn’t cheap shit from IKEA, and the vehicles in the basement; you’re sitting on millions. No idea what they left you in this account that you’ll hear of soon enough, but I’ll wager to say that you won’t need to go to work on Monday if you don’t want to.”

“Holy hell,” she breathed.

“I’d like to add that I like IKEA furniture,” Moose added and Kevin rolled his eyes.

“Just how much do you think these guys made over the last six years,” an agent leaning against the wall asked.

“Well,” Kevin said slowly. “We’re pretty sure they did the O’Hara heist a couple of years back. We couldn’t prove it but after it was all calculated, they stood to make 34 million on that.”

“What the fuck? How?” someone else piped in.

“They were blood diamonds and had been stolen from a man in England who had hired mercenaries and wiped out an African village to get them. The law was bought and the only way to get them back - so they could go to the rightful owners, a family in Africa – was to steal them. It was funneled through the black market because that’s where you can find the best thieves and somehow, it ended up in the lap of the Serpents. They found the thief, got the diamonds back and into the proper hands, not the man who’d gotten robbed, were given the reward and were gone before anyone even knew they were there.”

“So basically, they were thieves but only targeted horrible people?”

“Basically,” Moose replied.

“How does a team of thieves get that efficient in only a few years?”

“No idea and we’ll never know,” Kevin said with a long sigh. “But anyway, they aren’t our problem anymore and honestly, it’s a relief because I was getting tired of chasing ghosts.” He turned to Midge, who was still leafing through papers. “Ma’am, you’ll find the address of the lawyers you can visit and get this all settled. Enjoy your gift and you have a nice day.” They left and Midge sat alone at the table in an empty building, her eyes filled with tears as she looked over what her friends had done for her. 

Two days later, a package arrived by messager from the lawyers mentioned in the paper work she already had. It was a bank account number in an off shore account and the amount of funds listed was staggering. There were directions on how to access it and a sealed envelope that she quickly opened to find a letter written by Jughead.

_Midge_  
_You’re probably a little shocked by what we’ve done but we hope you accept our gift and do great things with it. We have no doubt that you will. We just want to thank you for all that you’ve done over the years for us and especially what you did for Jellybean and Betty. I’m sorry you had to be the one to witness Archie die next to us but at the same time, we are grateful it was you. You were a comfort in a time of great sorrow. Thank you again for everything and we’ll be in touch. As you, and the feds, might be confused as to where we disappeared to, if you go exploring in the garage, there is a red button in the drawer of the desk in mechanics. Enjoy your secret._  
_Jughead Jones_

The following day, Midge stood in the garage of her new building and looked in awe at all the cars. It was almost more than she could handle and she quickly walked to the mechanics shop and sat at the desk. She opened the drawers until she found the button and held her breath as she pushed it. She jumped when the shelf across the room suddenly slid to the side revealing a door. 

She laughed at the crown that had been drawn over the head of the snake painted on it. _Jughead Jones was here_ was spray painted above it and she smiled.

“Yes, you certainly were,” she whispered. She looked around and smiled. Life was about to get interesting.

 

 

**6 months later…**

“Betty!” Jughead’s bellow made her jump and she dropped the book she had been trying to put back on the top shelf and it landed on her head and she turned to frown at him while she rubbed it.

“Stop shouting,” she exclaimed. He stopped and stood, hands on his hips and gave her his best _I’m pissed off but I still love you_ look and she raised an eyebrow. “Problem?”

“Did you tell my dad that me and him were going to start golfing together every Friday?” he yelled. 

“Oh, that,” she smiled.

“Oh that?” he growled. “Are you serious right now?” Betty folded her arms across her chest and took a stance of her own, matching his with just as much sass as she could muster. Even as she tried to muster for the battle coming, she couldn’t help but let her eyes wander over him and promptly went weak in the knees. He was wearing only jeans and they sat low on his hips, her eyes taking in the V lines and trail of hair that she wanted to follow with her tongue. 

He had more tattoos and if his colorful skin wasn’t sexy, she didn’t know what was. Her favorite was the large B in script he had put on his neck right by his ear and when he’d shown up with it one afternoon, she’d shown him her appreciation by climbing him and giving him the ride of his life. Sweet Pea had laughed for days after he’d put it on Jughead, finding it amusing that the guy who’d avoided love and was determined to never fall into it’s trap now wanted things about his woman tattooed on his body, in places where everyone could see. “I love her and I want everyone to know it,” Jughead had explained and Pea had only laughed harder. Betty herself had gotten a couple of tattoos since they had left New York; one of his name down her ring finger to match his and a rather elaborate snake that she’d gotten over her hip and down her thigh. When she’d shown it to him, she could have sworn he’d teared up. It had caused the most intense, invigorating and satisfying round of sex they’d ever had. He’d told her his ears rang for days after she screamed her orgasm. 

“Betty, I’m not playing fucking golf with my dad every Friday! What the hell made you think I’d want to?” he barked.

“I thought you might enjoy it,” she snapped back. “You guys have been getting along so good since we left New York.”

“Tolerating each other, Betty,” Jughead yelled. “You think six months in the sun will fry my brain and I’ll forget the fact that he spent 6 _years_ before that being an asshole?”

“Jughead, he’s trying,” she sighed.

“And why the hell would you pick golf? I fucking hate golf!”

“Why are you yelling?” she asked.

“I like yelling,” he sighed. 

“I think island life is making you grumpy,” she smirked. 

“No, you trying to force me to hang out with my dad is making me grumpy,” he corrected her and she bit her lip as she watched him. She really couldn’t help it but every time Jughead got angry, she got aroused. She wondered if that was normal, but he just looked so fierce, brooding and sexy and she just found herself wanting to soothe him with her body. “Stop looking at me like that!” he grumbled and she tilted her head teasingly, her fingers playing with the hem of the flimsy tank top she was wearing.

“How am I looking at you?” she asked breathlessly. She started to walk toward him and he pointed his finger at her as he backed away.

“Stop it,” he ordered. “I’m trying to yell at you and you’ve got that look on your face.”

“What look?” she giggled and he groaned.

“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath. “Like you wanna fuck me and I’m not a piece of meat that you can just ride whenever it fancies your fanny.”

“But sweetie,” she pouted as she followed him around the couch. “You like my fanny.” 

“Yes, yes I do,” he admitted. “But you’re trying to distract me from being mad about your meddling plans and I’m not going to let you,” Jughead insisted. Betty stopped and let out an exaggerated sigh. 

“Well, alright then, guess I’ll go back to reading,” she smirked as she turned and walked away. He caught her a few steps later and she found herself backed against the wall, the irritated look in his eyes replaced by one of heat and arousal. 

“You really can’t look at me like that and then just walk away,” he groaned, his hands grasping her hips and lifting her so he could press his obvious erection against her.

“But baby, you told me to stop,” she teased, rotating her hips and moving with him. 

“You are a very bad girl,” he sighed, his mouth teasing along her jaw. 

“Well, you can’t come in here growling like a sexy bear, half naked with your body all on display and your jeans riding so low that your treasures are barely covered and letting me see that you’re obviously not wearing underwear and expect a woman to stay sane,” she chided.

“Sexy bear with treasures, huh?” he laughed against her neck.

“Yes,” Betty giggled and then gasped when he bit lightly at her. She grasped his hair and pulled his head back while pressing against him. “It makes me want to…what was it that you said? Ride your meat.”

“God, I love your dirty mouth,” he groaned when she dipped her head and bit lightly at the B tattoo he had on his neck. The fact that he kept tattooing things on his body that had to do with her was arousing and sexy and she licked over it to show her appreciation. “You like that tattoo,” he chuckled when she pulled back. 

“It’s hot,” she informed him. “You’re hot. Everything about you makes me hot.” He smirked and then his mouth was on hers, his tongue sinking into her mouth, his hands running up her thighs, taking the short skirt she wore with them. Their kiss was hot, wet, consuming and when he got her skirt to her waist, she reached down and pulled off her tank top and bra and then his mouth was sucking on her nipple as she cried out and arched against him. He groaned as he tasted her skin, all smooth and warm, the puckered tip begging to be licked. He eased off slightly and circled it gently with his tongue, then sucked on it while she squirmed against him. 

“Jug, I want….” Betty moaned when he moved his hand and brushed against her core. 

“What baby? Tell me what you want,” he said gruffly against her chest, taking one last lick and suck at her nipple. Her head fell back against the wall and she strained against him.

“You - I want you,” she moaned when he dipped his hand into her panties. 

“Fuck,” he muttered, her words sending him spinning and he found her wet against his fingers. “I love how you always want me.”

“I do,” Betty cried out, bucking against him. “So much.” He teased her, his fingers stroking her, sliding inside her, his thumb circling her clit while his mouth pulled on her nipple.

“Stop teasing, Jug,” she whimpered. “Just fuck me.” 

“Talk dirty to me,” he ordered, as his fingers fumbled with his button and zipper before shoving his jeans down and freeing himself. Betty grabbed his hair and pulled his head back, locking her eyes with his.

“Put your cock inside me,” she demanded and he grinned at her as he brushed his arousal over her slick folds. “Now!” Betty gasped as he slid against her again. “Please, Jug,” she begged, getting tired of his teasing. He thrust up into her with a groan and she cried out, squeezing her walls around him. 

“You’re so tight,” he muttered, holding her hips steady and thrusting in and out at a steady pace. “Fuck, you’re always so tight,” he groaned when she squeezed her walls, grinding against him.

“More,” she gasped, tightening her legs on his hips. Jughead groaned at the feel of her as he thrust deep, her tight wet walls surrounding him and pulling him deep. He kissed her, his mouth hot and eager, wanting her tongue in his mouth. He pulled his hips back and thrust forward again and her long moan made him twitch inside her.

“Fuck,” he groaned when he moved again, thrusting over and over at a steady deep pace. 

“Fuck, Jug, I’m gonna come,” she moaned suddenly, reaching down between them and circling her clit with her fingers, feeling the orgasm race up on her. “I can’t stop it, please, I need….” Her words cut off on a long groan as he picked up the pace, his hands holding her firmly against the wall. “I’m coming,” she cried out.

“I feel you baby,” he gasped. He paused slightly as she tightened on him, pulling him deeper and he swore he’d never felt anything so hot in all his life. He would never tire of feeling how her walls clenched around his cock when she came. She shuddered, her eyes rolling back in her head and he stayed still, pressing deep and letting her ride it out. She was breathing heavy and she opened her eyes and looked at him, finding him smiling at her and she let out a groan.

“You didn’t finish,” she breathed out, her legs around his hips not loosening. Jughead stepped back away from the wall, still pressed deep and walked over to the couch. He pulled out and lowered her onto it, coming down on top of her, his mouth devouring hers in a tongue stroking kiss.

“I need to taste you,” he murmured, moving down and nipping at her stomach. He smiled up at her and grabbed her leg, lifting it up to rest on the back of the couch. He moved his mouth over her hip of the other, his tongue running over the snake tattoo that he loved so much. He moved closer to her core, his hand pushing her leg wide and then she whimpered as his tongue ran over her. 

The eager sounds coming from Jughead as he licked and sucked and devoured her made Betty moan and lift to him, his tongue swirling around her clit and pushing inside her. She grabbed his hair, clenching it in a fist as she bucked against him. When his fingers joined his mouth, sliding two deep inside her, she arched her back, pressing against his mouth. She gasped in disappointment when he suddenly pulled away with a smirk. He came up, taking her mouth in a dirty kiss and she could taste herself and it only made her want more of his tongue inside her.

“More,” she begged and he laughed, his fingers moving again.

“My eager naughty girl,” he murmured as he moved slowly back down. He paused to take a nipple in his mouth, sucking eagerly and biting gently. He kept moving until once again he raked his tongue over her, smiling up at her. He set on her again, licking and sucking on her clit and it didn’t take long and she fell apart with a long cry. He groaned as her release covered his tongue, his hand wrapped around himself, slowly stroking as he came back up and settled over her. He braced his hand beside her head and rubbed himself over her before guiding his cock to her entrance. Betty lifted to him, eager to feel him again and he slid deep inside, starting a steady rhythm of long deep strokes. “Fuck, you always feel so good,” he groaned, looking down and watching her body take him. “So wet for me.” 

“Oh my god,” she moaned, his words making everything clench and tighten, the pleasure racing through her and she lifted up on her elbows, watching him fuck into her, the sight making her ache and throb, another orgasm building. 

“You like that?” he asked, his forehead dropping to hers as he slammed into her. “You like watching me fuck you?” Betty lifted her legs, pulling her knees back and he groaned at the change of angle, sinking deeper with every thrust.

“Yes,” she gasped, her hand curling around the back of his neck and pulling him down for a tongue filled kiss. 

“Touch yourself,” he ordered, feeling his release already licking through his abdomen. Betty reached down and circled her clit, tugging on his lip with her teeth as the pleasure built. It was fast, hot, so sexy. “Tell me you’re close,” he begged, his hands gripping the couch cushion next to her head as he thrust over and over. 

“I’m close,” she cried out, feeling it start to unravel. 

“Oh fuck,” he growled, as he lifted up, grabbing her knees and pressing them back as his release rushing through him before he could even begin to hold it back and she cried out in ecstasy as she clenched hard on him, her orgasm coming on the heels of his. He moved through it, his body shaking with hers as he pressed his mouth to hers, swallowing her cries. “Holy shit,” he gasped, her body pulling at him as he spilled inside her. Betty’s arms and legs wrapped around him and she pulled him down, his body falling on hers and they lay pressed into the couch for long minutes while they calmed, their bodies settling, their breathing slowly returning to normal.

“This was beyond hot and amazing but I’m still not golfing with my dad,” he suddenly grumbled in her ear and Betty started to giggle. He joined her with a chuckle of his own and shifted so he could look at her. He rolled his eyes at her grin and dropped a kiss on her mouth. “You’re a little shit, you know that?” he sighed.

“You know you love me,” she laughed and he smiled and kissed her again.

“Completely,” he admitted. 

“I don’t mind at all when you seduce me,” she teased.

“I came in here to yell at you,” he insisted with a laugh. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Well, next time, don’t come in with your body on display and looking like walking sex because you know that’s just going to get you laid.”

“I know,” he grinned. Betty burst out laughing and smacked him on the shoulder. 

“I knew it!” 

“You’re so easy,” he teased, his mouth nuzzling her neck, his hips nudging a little. A little tickling and well placed nibbles turned their laughter in moans after a while and Jughead was still grinning when he went golfing with his father a few days later.

 

 

Two weeks later, Jughead and Sweet Pea left for Europe for a week to visit Jellybean. Betty had no desire to join them and Jughead had assured her it was probably best not to go along and he promised her a trip to Europe soon so she could experience more of the world and she was excited to go with him on such a grand adventure. She spent the week lounging on the beach between visits with Pop and Cheryl and Toni and even though it went relatively quickly, she missed Jughead. 

Since they had arrived at their new home, a small tropical island that had been a deserted resort that the Serpents had bought and fixed up as home, she had been doing well in regards to her anxiety and nightmares. There was a wonderful therapist on the main island that she saw every week and she found she was slowly beginning to heal from the horrors that she had faced. Still, at night, if Jughead wasn’t with her, she had difficulty sleeping. Since the day he’d found her, his presence next to her provided safety and warmth and even though she was perfectly safe, she missed him and longed for him when he was gone.

When the day came that they were returning, she could barely contain her happiness as she bounced around the new Serpent lounge in the main building of the resort. Their piece of paradise was 10 miles from the larger island that held the town and it had 20 different chalets and cabins that they had spent a few months fixing up and making beautiful and while they weren’t huge, they were definitely luxurious. Jughead and Betty had the one at the top of the south cliff and Pop had the one of the opposite side. It wasn’t a huge island, but it was large enough for all the Serpents that had chosen to follow Jughead and they all had privacy. The main lodge had been turned into apartments and also housed the lounge and gym. There were several pools and Betty couldn’t have asked for a better place to settle. Pea, Fangs and Toni and Cheryl all had their own chalets, as did FP and several others and the older Serpents chose to stay in the lodge. Everybody was happily retired.

“Girl, stop your bouncing, you’re giving me a headache,” Pop grumbled from the corner where he sat playing cards with another older Serpent.

“Oh Pop, you’re just grumpy from too much sun,” Cheryl laughed from the bar where she was going over some stock orders. Toni, who was in her usual and seemingly favorite place behind the bar laughed at the exchange. 

“Do you miss the gloom of New York, Pop?” she called out and he waved her away like he was done with them. 

“Crazy women,” he muttered and Betty laughed and threw a nut at him from the bowl on the bar. She saw the smile he was trying not to show and rolled her eyes.

“These Jones men are all the same,” she sighed. “All bark and no bite.”

“You telling me that Jughead never bites?” Cheryl asked with a smirk and Betty only grinned in reply.

“Who would I be biting?” came a sexy soft voice from the doorway. Betty whirled around and almost cried when Jughead walked into the room. She ran to him and jumped into his embrace, her arms and legs going around him and she held on tight, breathing him in. “Hi baby,” he whispered softly in her ear, holding her tightly against him. “God, I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” Betty cried, unable to stop the tears that filled her eyes. He pulled back slightly and gave her soft kiss. “I’m sorry,” she said with a small laugh. “I don’t know why I’m crying.” He smiled and kissed her cheeks until her tears were gone and then he kissed her mouth again and she forgot where they were, kissing him back eagerly and didn’t come up for air until Pop bellowed for them to go to their chalet.

“I love you,” he said softly, as she slowly lowered her legs to the ground. “And I am never leaving you that long again, like ever. I can’t sleep without you.”

“Yeah, you and me both,” she said with a sigh. “I love you too.”

“How was your trip?” FP asked, walking into the lounge, having seen him pull up in the boat. “How’s JB doing?” 

“She’s….she’s doing pretty good,” Jughead said, pulling Betty against his side. “It’s good for her, being there and the psychiatric program seems to be helping her. She wrote letters for you and Pop that she wanted me to give you.”

“What, none for me?” Cheryl said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. 

“She’s actually working on that one,” Jughead said with a shrug. “I didn’t say she was 100% changed for the better but at least she’s trying I guess. She has issues, it will take a while.”

“And how was Pea?” Toni asked curiously. 

“Where is he, by the way?” Betty asked, looking for him.

“He’ll be right in,” Jughead said, sounding a little apprehensive. He turned to Toni. “He was alright. He’s glad she’s working on herself, I’m pretty sure that’s as far as it went.”

“Good,” she said and went back to where Cheryl sat.

“People don’t forget quickly,” Betty said softly, she herself not sure how she felt about Jellybean yet. The woman had hurt her and she was still processing it in therapy how someone could be so awful to someone else.

“I know,” Jughead said softly. “I don’t expect them too. It wasn’t exactly all smiles between me and her either but she is my sister and I guess we have to try, right?”

“Right,” Betty smiled. Jughead let out a breath and his smile faltered a little and Betty thought he suddenly looked nervous and she furrowed her brow. “You alright?”

“Actually,” he said, clearing his throat. “There is something I need to tell you.” He didn’t seem to mind if anybody was listening and the room went a little quiet as everyone seemed to hush to let him speak. “Pea and I didn’t initially go to Europe to see JB. We just made the decision to see her after we planned the trip.”

“I don’t understand,” Betty said, confused. 

“I wasn’t completely honest with you and I know I said I would never keep things from you again but this time I really wanted to be sure before I did anything and I used JB as a cover in case it didn’t work out.”

“In case what didn’t work out?” she asked, completely lost at this point.

“I have something for you,” he said softly, motioning toward the door. Betty turned and watched as Pea entered, followed by someone who seemed to be hiding behind his back. He stepped aside and Betty froze in shock, her entire body going numb.

“Polly?” she whispered, staring at the woman in front of her who looked so different and exactly the same. “Polly?” she let out again in a sob. Betty finally got her legs to work and rushed to her just as Polly burst into tears as if she hadn’t believed it was true that she would be seeing Betty until she saw her and their arms wrapped around each other and they cried, oblivious to anyone else in the room. 

Jughead stepped back and lowered his gaze, feeling like he was intruding and he felt someone take his hand and he looked up and saw Toni standing next to him, tears running down her face.

“You are a good man, Jughead Jones,” she whispered. “And don’t ever let anybody tell you otherwise.” He swallowed around the lump in his throat and nodded.

After a few minutes, Betty pulled back and her hands framed her sister’s face, looking at every part of it, making sure she was real. Polly managed a wobbly smile and then they were hugging and crying again. It took a long time before they managed to get themselves together and moved over to sit on a couch, hands held tightly and tears still flowing. 

“I’m so sorry, Polly,” Betty said, her voice shaking. “I’m so sorry about what happened to you.”

“It’s not your fault,” Polly said, shaking her head and Betty started sobbing again at the sound of her voice and pulled her in for another hug. 

“How did you….” Betty started as she pulled back. She turned to look at Jughead and he came closer. “How did you find her?” she asked tearfully. Jughead put his hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

“We’ve been searching since New York and hitting up every single contact we had in Europe and putting the word out and we got friends on it and looking and eventually someone heard from someone who heard something and we chased the lead down and found her in Berlin. She had a different name but we have good people who do thorough detective work,” he explained. Betty took his hand and got him to sit next to her, holding on to him tightly and he rubbed his free hand up and down her back. 

“Are you okay?” Betty asked worriedly. “Were you alone?”

“I’m okay,” Polly said and then let out a sigh. “Mostly,” she added quietly. “And I wasn’t alone. The man who helped me escape, his name is Alexander, he was the son of the man who….”

“It’s okay,” Betty whispered, squeezing her hand. “You don’t have to talk about that.”

“I want to,” Polly said quietly. “When I got there I was locked in a room and I was alone for a few days and one night, in the middle of the night, Alexander opened the door and said we had to hurry and we had to leave. His father had done this many times before and the women…the women never lived long but he was powerful and nobody would do anything and Alex hated him and he finally had access to his trust fund and he worked in secret with someone and they moved all the funds to an account his father wouldn’t find and he helped me escape and we ran.”

“So you never met the man who bought you?” Betty asked in relief.

“No, he was out of the country when I was delivered.”

“Thank God,” Betty cried. “I heard some awful things about him.”

“Yeah, Chic made it a point to tell me before I left,” Polly said, her voice quivering. 

“Polly,” Betty said, her hands trembling. “Chic told me….he told me about Malachi…” 

“It’s okay, Betty,” Polly whispered. “Please don’t be sad. It didn’t…..it didn’t last long and he didn’t let anyone else near me. Jughead told me that you’re in therapy, well Alex made sure I got help as well. For a long time, I couldn’t….when we would try I was just….” Betty gripped her hand and nodded in understanding. “But Alex helped me so much and once we got settled and I started therapy and I fell more in love with him, eventually I was able to experience that without pain and fear and really, I’m okay, it’s a journey and I’m going to be okay.”

“For so long after you disappeared, I thought you ran away and left me,” Betty said, her tears coming again.

“God, Betty I would have never left you with that monster,” her sister cried. “When Jughead came for me, he told me all about what happened with you and what went on for those few months before Chic died and how that sick fucker wasn’t even our brother, and I’m just…I mean, I know he was awful but you almost starved and I don’t even know how to comprehend…” Polly burst into deep sobs again and Betty pulled her close. After a long while they again pulled apart and Betty smiled shakely.

“You’re doing okay? Is this Alex person a good person?”

“He is,” Polly said with a blush. “He only intended to free me but when we got away from his father’s compound, I didn’t know what to do. I had no money, no way of getting anywhere, I didn’t even know where I was and I begged him to let me stay with him until I could figure something out,” she explained. “At first he was hesitant because he just wanted to get out of the country and didn’t want me slowing him down and I had no papers but I convinced him and we went to his friend who helped him with his money and he got me papers that I could use in Europe and we travelled, keeping off main travel ways and slowly made our way across several countries. We had to lay low many times because he father sent men after us in full force and a few times we almost got caught,” she whispered.

“And I guess after a while you didn’t want to leave him?” Betty asked with a smile. Polly smiled and nodded.

“He took such good care of me and I just….I was scared to tell him but then one day I just kissed him….”

“Yeah, I can relate,” Betty grinned. 

“Definitely sisters,” Jughead chuckled next to her and she elbowed him and he only laughed.

“I’m guessing he didn’t mind the kiss?”

“No, he didn’t mind,” Polly smiled. “We travelled around for almost a year until we were sure his father had given up and then we settled in Berlin with new names. When Jughead told me all about how Chic had sold you to that man as well, I realized why he’d stopped looking for me and it broke my heart and I’m so thankful Jughead rescued you.”

“I can’t believe he found you,” Betty said, tearing up again.

“I had help,” Jughead said softly. 

“He’s very modest, isn’t he,” Polly smiled.

“So, can I get you ladies a drink?” he asked suddenly and Betty gave his hand a squeeze. 

“Some water,” she requested and he got up and headed to the bar.

“He talked a lot about you,” Polly said softly, watching how her sister stared after the man she loved. “I have to say, when he showed up with his friend there, Sweet Pea? I was terrified. I had no clue what they wanted and I thought Alex’s father had found us but he was so respectful and kept a comfortable distance away when he saw how scared I was. His voice was kind and so were his eyes and as soon as he mentioned you, I knew I could trust him. It was the way he said your name, I just knew. I thought to myself, this man loves my sister.”

“He does,” Betty whispered happily. “And I love him so much.” Jughead brought them water and sat down next to Betty again and she leaned against him.

“It took him four days to convince Alex to let me come here.”

“Alex didn’t come?”

“He did,” Polly smiled. “But he insisted on waiting outside because he didn’t want to intrude on our reunion. I couldn’t convince him otherwise.”

“Bring him in here,” Betty insisted and Jughead motioned to Pea with his head and the other man headed outside. He came in a few minutes later with a man whose eyes immediately locked on Polly and Betty smiled as she stood. He was tall, with auburn hair and pale skin. Very clean cut and very handsome and she walked over to him and to his surprise, gave him a tight hug. “Thank you for taking care of my sister,” she said tearfully and he smiled and nodded.

“It’s my pleasure,” he said softly, his voice deep and his accent heavy. His eyes left hers and found Polly again and she smiled and stepped aside and he immediately went to her. Betty watched them and felt her heart smile. It was very obvious that they loved each other and her sister was okay. She looked around the room and motioned for everyone to gather and they came closer and she turned to Alex and Polly and smiled.

“I’d like to introduce you to my family,” she said softly.

Betty introduced her new family to Polly and they talked for long hours, sharing every detail that had happened in the almost 2 years that they’d been apart. Eventually, her sister and Alex got settled in a room and Betty and Jughead, who hadn’t left her side the entire time, headed to their home. Nothing was said and once inside, Betty stood quietly and watched as Jughead dropped his bags and kicked of his shoes. He turned to her and smiled gently. 

“Are you okay?” he asked softly. 

“Thank you Jughead,” she whispered and he shook his head.

“I promised I’d find her and you don’t need to….” He began and trailed off when she raised her hand.

“I need to say something and I need you to listen,” she said shakely and he quietly nodded.

“I don’t know how, with a mother that left you when you were young and a father that didn’t care much about you and then spent years doing everything he could to bring you down, you turned into the man you are today. The compassion and care that you show for other people, how you go out of your way to help when it’s needed and how you keep every single promise you make is mind boggling. You have the most amazing heart of anyone I’ve ever met and what you’ve done for me, since the day we met, has literally saved my life. In every single way.” Betty paused and took a long shaky breath and Jughead waited, his hands in his pockets, swallowing once again around the lump in his throat. Her eyes filled with tears and ran down her cheeks as she looked at him, the beautiful man she loved more than life. She walked closer and stopped a foot away from him just looking at him for a minute before she continued. “You promised me that you would find Polly and you have spent months looking for her. So long that I even forgot you were looking. You never spoke about it, you never bragged that you’d find her, you didn’t give me false hope, you just silently poured all your heart and energy into finding her and you brought her home to me,” she whispered in a sob.

“Don’t cry,” he said softly, lifting his hand to wipe her tears. “It’s all okay now.”

“These are tears of disbelief and love,” Betty explained. “I am completely overwhelmed by you and I don’t know how else to express it. You are the greatest love I could have ever hoped for. I love you so much, I ache with it. I want you to know, right now, that you have my whole heart. Until the day I die, I am yours. My heart, my soul, my body, my everything is yours. If you asked me right now to marry you, I would say yes. I want to spend my life making you happy, I want a family with you, I want to give you a child that will be as beautiful as you and when the time comes, will lead the Serpents with as much strength and honor as you. I want everything with you and I know I’m just sort of word vomiting right now, but I just want you to know that I’m yours forever.” Jughead said nothing for a minute and she saw his eyes were as glassy as hers, the tears he only ever showed to her ready to fall. He cupped her face and lowered his forehead to hers and let out a trembling breath.

“Any children we have will get their beauty and strength from you,” he whispered. “You captured my heart the day I found you and it hasn’t been mine since and I love you more than I can even explain. I would do absolutely anything for you and you have my everything forever too.” He wrapped his arms around her and Betty knew that there would never be any place to her that was home, except in his arms. He held her as she cried, all her emotions just spilling out of her and let a few tears of his own fall and when she pulled away and smiled that beautiful smile of hers, he knew everything was finally and completely alright.

“How long will they stay?” she asked softly as he wiped her face.

“As long as they want,” Jughead smiled and she hugged him again. He picked her up and carried her to the bedroom, their time apart too long and he was desperate to touch her, to make love to her, to show her just how much he needed her. Their kisses were slow and sexy, their lovemaking sensual and intense. Their release completely mind blowing. It was perfect. They were perfect. 

Life was completely perfect.

 

 

**Six months Later….**

Betty leaned against the railing of her and Jughead’s chalet and looked out over the water. They had been there a year and life could not be better. The Serpents were retired and happy but she could tell they were starting to get itchy for some excitement. Some kind of adventure to break into the daily laying around on the beach. She wondered if they missed the city life, or the heists, or just the adrenaline of danger. It was clear, except for the older ones, the Serpents were in need of some excitement.

She looked down at her snake tattoo on her leg and the few others she’d gotten over the year, becoming a little like a drawing board much like Jughead. She had sealed her fate that day, marking her skin with the brand of the family that she loved so much and she was hoping to give something back to them and bring some life into the relaxed state of things. Betty turned and looked at the usual group that was hanging out on her deck; Pea, Fangs, Cheryl and Toni, and now Polly and Alex who had decided after much back and forth to take the Serpents up on their offer and stay and join the ranks. They had no fear of their lives here on the island, where in Europe they were constantly looking over their shoulder. They made an exciting and fabulous addition and everyone loved them as much as they loved Betty. This was one of those lazy afternoons when the Serpents shared stories and memories of Archie, which more often then not had them laughing instead of feeling sad. He was still missed very much but they felt he was with them and it gave them all a sense of peace.

"You would have liked him Polly," Betty smiled. "Not in a romantic sense, but he was kind and really funny and I know how much you love a good joke. He had so many of them."

"I would have liked to meet him," her sister said softly. Betty looked at Jughead and smiled. He leaned against the deck table, his ankles crossed, arms folding over his chest, his usual cigarette dangling from his mouth and he watched her with the usual heat in his eyes, slowly letting his gaze move over her body, much of it on display in her bikini and transparent silk beach robe. She winked and he smirked, taking a long drag as his gaze settled on her chest.

“Betty, do you know the woman waving from the boat out on the water?” Pea asked suddenly, motioning out past the beach with his hand. She turned and smiled when she saw the woman she had gotten to know on her visits to town.

“That there is Jennifer O’Brian. I met her a while back in town when I was waiting for my dress at the dry cleaners. She’s very talkative when she has a few drinks,” Betty said with a smirk as they watched the woman wave excitedly. She waved back and then the boat moved on.

“Oh yeah? What she talk about?” Pea asked. Betty leaned against the railing and her eyes found Jughead again, letting her gaze wander over his exposed torso, because it was the tropics and why bother buttoning a shirt. She caught his look, a sexy smirk on her lips.

“Well, turns out, her husband got rich off of sweat shops in third world countries, off the backs of women and children who got paid mere cents a day and really, he’s the worst kind of people.”

“So, we shouldn’t be friends with that guy then,” Cheryl noted. Betty kept her gaze on Jughead and saw the curious glint in them. He knew her so well already and she knew he could tell she was up to something. She pulled away from the railing, the silk material of her beach robe flowing behind her as she walked towards him, the diamonds on her wrists and ears shimmering in the sunlight, the emerald on her finger twinkling like her eyes. She paused next to him and lay a manicured hand on his stomach, feeling it shudder at her touch.

“Yes, she really didn’t shut up at all,” Betty sighed, her eyes roaming over his face, biting her lip. “Why, she may or may not have told me about a giant diamond he has locked in a safe in his office that he acquired from a man who deals in blood diamonds,” she said, holding his gaze. “I know you guys think poorly of such men and I mean, really, he’s quite horrible and could probably be taught a lesson.” She let her nails drag across his stomach as she walked into the house, throwing him a look over her shoulder that made his body twitch.

“Did she just….?” Pea asked in surprise.

“Aren’t we retired?” Fangs asked with a smile.

“Well, Jug, she’s most definitely a Serpent,” Toni laughed.

Jughead smiled after Betty as she walked away from them, her eyes begging him to follow. He slowly pulled away from the table and snuffed out his cigarette, barely sparing Pea even a glance as he walked past him.

“Get it started,” he said with a smirk before he followed his love and his life into the chalet and into their bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I have a massive headache right now and I have no idea if i'm just overwhelmed, anxious or getting sick but if I missed any mistakes or need to fix something, please let me know.
> 
> We're done and I am both sad and relieved. This fic has been a journey that was both exhilarating and hard. I didn't know what I was getting into when I started and I only hoped that I could manage to write what was in my head and I think it got bigger than what was in my head and i'm proud of what I've done.
> 
> Thank you all so much for your incredible support of this fic. The amount of love it's gotten has overwhelmed me at times and I will be forever grateful. You all are amazing.
> 
> Now i'm going to rest my head and I hope another fic makes its way into my brain once I feel refreshed and i'll see you all soon. This girl needs a break. 
> 
> Be Right Back.

**Author's Note:**

> this fic will update probably once a week.....there may be times when it might be more frequent or even later, but the goal is once a week


End file.
